Protected Geographical Indication

Don't just call me Carne Salada.

Carne Salada del Trentino PGI

The protected name identifies a precisely defined product: meat from adult cattle, whole anatomical cuts, dry salting, characteristic seasonings and controlled maturation. Processing technology transforms fresh meat into a recognisable, protected cured-meat product.

Certified Consortium members Product specification

Carne Salada del Trentino durante la salatura

Meat, salt and… Trentino

What makes it unique

The meat matters. Technology defines the product.

Cut selection determines slice consistency, tenderness and yield. Processing transforms meat into a cured-meat product.

Precisely defined raw material

Meat from adult cattle aged 18 to 48 months, in whole cuts: topside, silverside and eye of round.

Dry salting

No added water and injection is strictly prohibited.

Flavouring

Garlic, pepper, bay leaf and other spices in very small proportions.

Time and control

Controlled maturation for a minimum of 15 days.

The principle

Salt is not only used to add flavour.

Salting and curing are not synonyms

Salting is the act of applying salt; curing is the preservation process that results from it.

Osmosis governs the exchange

With no added water, salt contributes to the process that transforms fresh meat into a meat product.

Only the salt that is necessary

Only the amount of salt needed for proper preservation is added. A good Carne Salada del Trentino therefore aims for a balanced, mild taste rather than excessive saltiness.

The method

The process in four steps + 1

Four production stages define the product. The fifth step is its culinary use.

Selection and trimming

The whole anatomical cut is prepared by removing parts that are not required for processing.

Dry salting and flavouring

Salt and seasonings are distributed over the surface, with no added water.

Massaging and maturation

Processing promotes even distribution and supports controlled maturation.

Packaging

The product is protected and identified while preserving quality and traceability.

Use in the kitchen

Served raw, hand-chopped or quickly cooked: this is where the product meets the consumer.

Tradition and responsibility

From the historic 1921 recipe to today’s more controlled method.

Nel 1921 Giulia Turco Turcati Lazzari documenta ne Il piccolo focolare una ricetta storica della Carne Salada. Oggi quella tradizione è inserita in un sistema produttivo codificato, tracciabile e sottoposto a controllo.

THEN 1921

The historic recipe by Giulia Turco Turcati Lazzari

In Il piccolo focolare, the 1921 recipe specifies, for 10 kg of meat, 0.5 kg of salt and 50 g of saltpetre, equivalent to approximately 5,000 mg/kg.

Method: experience and customary practice
Preservatives: approximately 5,000 mg/kg in the historical recipe
Context: preservation according to the knowledge available at the time

TODAY PGI

Greater precision, fewer preservatives, stronger protection

Today the method is codified and verifiable: defined raw material, dry salting with no added water, a minimum maturation of 15 days, traceability and official controls.

Method: defined by the product specification
Parameters: measurable and verifiable
Nitrates: 150 mg/kg of nitrate ion (NO₃⁻), category 08.3.4.2
Result: greater consistency, control and protection

Why is today’s system more advanced? Tradition has evolved into a repeatable and verifiable method, based on defined requirements, traceability and official controls. For Carne Salada, included among “Dry cured ham and similar products” in food category 08.3.4.2 of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, the current limit for nitrates is 150 mg/kg, expressed as nitrate ion (NO₃⁻), as a maximum residual level from all sources throughout shelf life. A purely quantitative comparison with the approximately 5,000 mg/kg of saltpetre specified in the historical recipe gives a figure about 33 times lower, corresponding to a reduction of approximately 97%.* *The historical recipe specifies an amount added, whereas the current limit is expressed as a maximum residual level. The comparison therefore illustrates the quantitative evolution and should not be interpreted as a direct regulatory equivalence.

European protection