Advancing European Dry Cured Ham Value Chains with Data-Driven Authentication and Global Traceability Standards

The EU dry-cured ham (DCH) sector faces growing challenges related to fraud, supply chain transparency, and compliance with PDO/PGI certification standards, threatening consumer trust and market competitiveness. While blockchain-based traceability is emerging, current systems rely solely on QR codes and labeling, lacking integration with chemical fingerprinting authentication to verify product authenticity at a granular level. Additionally, smaller producers struggle with resource limitations to adopt cutting-edge traceability solutions, restricting their ability to compete in premium markets.HAMTRACE addresses these gaps by developing an interoperable, privacy-preserving, and regulation-compliant traceability framework, integrating advanced analytical chemistry, AI, blockchain, and federated learning. The project will 1) Map critical control points across the value chain to enhance risk assessment. 2) Implement high-precision elemental fingerprinting to distinguish authentic DCH from fraudulent imitations. 3) Leverage AI-driven hyperspectral imaging and elemental fingerprinting to authenticate curing time and regional specificity. 4) Develop a Hyperledger Fabric blockchain system, embedding tamper-proof smart tags and real-time fraud detection using AI-enhanced anomaly detection.HAMTRACE goes beyond conventional traceability by introducing a human-in-the-loop AI model, ensuring ethical compliance and transparent decision-making. This aligns with GDPR, the EU AI Act, the Green Deal, or the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, reinforcing EU’s leadership in food safety R&I. By offering scalable, industry-ready solutions, HAMTRACE enhances consumer confidence, protects PDO/PGI certifications, and strengthens the EU DCH sector’s competitive edge globally. This groundbreaking fusion of analytical chemistry and digital technologies will set new industry standards for authenticity, transparency, and food integrity, shaping the future of fraud-resistant premium food traceability in EU