HAMTRACE project launches to protect Europe’s premium dry-cured hams through smart, fraud-resistant traceability

PRESS RELEASE

Barcelona, Spain — January 2026

A new EU-funded research project, HAMTRACE (Advancing European Dry-Cured Ham Value Chains with Data-Driven Authentication and Global Traceability Standards), has officially launched, bringing together leading universities, research infrastructures, industry associations, SMEs and digital innovation experts to combat food fraud and strengthen trust in Europe’s premium dry-cured ham sector.

The project officially began on 1 January 2026 and is coordinated by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

Addressing a growing challenge

Europe’s dry-cured ham sector—home to iconic products such as PDO and PGI-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.

A data-driven solution for food integrity

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,” said the coordination team at UAB. “HAMTRACE connects scientific proof with digital trust, offering robust protection for both producers and consumers.”

Scientific ambition and scope

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

• 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.

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This project has received funding from the European Community’s Horizon-MSCA-2024-SE-01 under grant agreement nº 101236645. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Media contact: Lesley Tobin, Europe for Business : lesley@e4business.eu