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Europe’s dry-cured ham sector, home to iconic products such as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)-certified hams, faces increasing pressure from food fraud, mislabelling and insufficient supply-chain transparency. Current traceability systems rely largely on labels and QR codes, which can be copied or manipulated and offer limited protection against sophisticated fraud. At the same time, small and medium-sized producers often lack access to advanced authentication tools, putting their market position and consumer trust at risk.

Coordinated by the UAB, the project HAMTRACE (Advancing European Dry-Cured Ham Value Chains with Data-Driven Authentication and Global Traceability Standards) has officially launched on 1 January 2026. HAMTRACE addresses these challenges by developing an interoperable, privacy-preserving and regulation-compliant traceability framework that integrates analytical chemistry, artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies and smart tags.

By combining elemental and isotopic fingerprinting with AI-driven imaging techniques and tamper-proof digital records, HAMTRACE will enable authentication of product origin, curing time and regional specificity, linking physical products with secure digital identities.

This project goes beyond traditional traceability, and connects scientific proof with digital trust, offering robust protection for both producers and consumers.
Over four years, HAMTRACE will map critical control points across dry-cured ham value chains; develop high-precision chemical fingerprints to authenticate origin; apply AI and hyperspectral imaging to verify curing processes; implement blockchain-based digital product passports and support compliance with PDO/PGI standards and EU regulations. The project contributes directly to EU priorities under the Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy, and emerging EU AI Act, reinforcing Europe’s leadership in food authenticity and integrity.

The HAMTRACE consortium

HAMTRACE Consortium is made up of the UAB —coordinates HAMTRACE and leads research on analytical chemistry, elemental fingerprinting, project management, and overall scientific integration—, Univerzitet Donja Gorica (UDG) —contributes expertise in food systems analysis, sustainability, and data-driven assessment across dry-cured ham value chains —, Sapienza Università di Roma (UNIROMA1) —leads advanced analytical and food chemistry research to support authentication of dry-cured ham origin and curing processes —, ALBA Synchrotron (ALBA-CELLS) —provides access to large-scale research infrastructure and synchrotron-based analytical techniques for high-resolution chemical characterisation —, Centre for Ecotoxicological Research Podgorica (CETI) —supports chemical analysis, trace element assessment, and validation of analytical methodologies used for product authentication —, ADERA SAS (ADERA) —contributes innovation management, technology transfer, and stakeholder engagement expertise to support uptake of HAMTRACE solutions —, DunavNET DOO (DUNAVNET) —develops digital traceability components, including blockchain integration, smart tagging, and data infrastructure —, Europe for Business Ltd (EFB) —leads dissemination, communication, exploitation strategy, and alignment with EU policy and regulatory frameworks —, ASICI (ASICI) —represents the Iberian pig sector, ensuring alignment with PDO/PGI certification requirements and facilitating industry validation —and Food Hub SRL Società Benefit (FOODHUB) —supports market-oriented validation, supply-chain integration, and adoption of HAMTRACE solutions by food producers.
 
This project has received funding from the European Community’s Horizon-MSCA-2024-SE-01 under grant agreement nº 101236645. 

Videos about the project: 

Interview with Professor Manuel Valiente about the HAMTRACE project

Explanatory video of the HAMTRACE project