Quick Take — Nine Parma hams and a mystery: how did Gambero Rosso choose them?

…The panel of tasters claims to have selected “nine noteworthy products”, but it is not entirely clear how many products were initially selected or what criteria were used. The Consortium has 125 member companies: how they arrived at nine is unclear.

Yet, in the section of the website dedicated to blind tastings,it states:“We create groups that are homogeneous in terms of type, production philosophy and price range”. In this case, it seems to me that the selection is not particularly homogeneous: the only common feature is that they are Parma PDO; otherwise, the production philosophy and approach of a €15–20 billion chain will differ from those of a €30 million company. With such a wide range of maturation periods and prices (a 70 per cent difference between the cheapest and the most expensive), how can one claim that the range of products is homogeneous?

The author is right: Gambero Rosso would do well to explain the process leading up to its assessments in greater detail. I would add that, given the events surrounding the ‘prosciuttopoli’ scandal, the descriptive section of the article – which I have reproduced below – seems rather theoretical:

Where do the legs come from?

The legs come exclusively from pigs born, reared and slaughtered in the eleven regions permitted by the production specifications, whilst processing takes place entirely within the designated area. After at least fourteen months and quality checks, the ‘Corona Ducale’ is awarded – the mark certifying ‘Prosciutto di Parma DOP’…

Quick Take — JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, has appointed a new CEO

Wesley Batista Filho (pictured below), aged 34, is set to take up the role at the global food conglomerate in January, the São Paulo-based group announced on Monday
Batista Filho, who currently heads the company’s US division, is the son of former JBS CEO Wesley Batista and the grandson of its founder, José Batista Sobrinho. JBS’s US unit is the largest in terms of sales…

In Italy, it owns Rigamonti and King’s Group, which, through the King’s and Principe brands, operates in more than 20 countries and is the market leader in the production of Prosciutto di San Daniele PDO. The group also produces Prosciutto di Parma D.O.P., GranSpeck and Prosciutto Veneto D.O.P.

The share price of JBS, which is listed in the United States,fell by 5.8 per cent on Monday. …

On Monday, JBS reported a net loss of $102 million for the second quarter. Its revenue rose by 14 per cent to $23.9 billion.

JBS has long been criticised for its environmental policy.

Written on 13 August, updated on 15 August 2026

Quick Take — Parma Ham Consortium: after Prosciuttopoli, what are the priorities?

“In the face of repeated scandals, control loopholes and structural problems in the supply chain, it is legitimate to ask how fair it is to allocate 600,000 euros for [a Parma Ham Museum made with PNRR money] to emphasise a product entrusted to a consortium that ignores the critical aspects of the supply chain, justifying itself with the lack of information in its statutes”. From : The Food Fact

Is PepsiCo cutting the prices of its snacks by 15 per cent? That means its profit margins were too high (like many manufacturers)

The PepsiCo case confirms what was already known: many major brands have inflated their prices and margins in recent years. Not least because a 15 per cent drop suggests they had plenty of ‘room for manoeuvre’. PepsiCo was the world’s second-largest food producer in 2023, behind Nestlé and ahead of the Brazilian meat producer JBS.