Bands and seals of Iberian ham

On the labelling of an Iberian ham there are three distinct elements people tend to confuse: the seal (precinto), the band (vitola) and the commercial label. Each says something different and all are important. This guide teaches you to read them in five minutes and helps you avoid fraud when buying.

The seal: the official guarantee

The seal is a tamper-proof plastic band, usually nylon, placed on the pig’s leg inside the abattoir, right after slaughter. It’s placed by the Iberian Pig Interprofessional Association (ASICI) according to the criteria of Royal Decree 4/2014, the law that regulates Iberian in Spain.

The seal has four functions:

It identifies the ham’s category through a mandatory colour.
It carries a unique number that allows the traceability of each individual piece.
It can’t be tampered with: if it breaks, the ham loses its category.
It accompanies the piece throughout its commercial life, even in the restaurant or in your home.

If a ham carries no seal, it isn’t legal Iberian. If it carries a seal with the colour and numbering erased or crossed out, it isn’t either.

The four colours

Since 2014, the Iberian Pork Quality Standard establishes exactly four colours. Not one more, not one less. If you see a ham with a pink, blue or purple seal, it isn’t legal.

Black seal · 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham

It’s the highest tier. It means that:

Mother and father are 100% purebred Iberian, recorded in a genealogical register.
The pig fed exclusively on acorns, grass and natural resources of the dehesa during the montanera, with no supplementary feed.
It enjoyed a minimum of 1 hectare per animal in freedom.
It was slaughtered between 15 December and 31 March, after the montanera.

Only products with a black seal can legally carry the mention “pata negra” on their label. Any other use is illegal.

Red seal · Iberian acorn-fed ham (75% or 50%)

Same feeding rules as the black: exclusive acorns in the montanera, a minimum of 1 hectare per pig, slaughter in the authorised season. The only difference is the father’s genetics:

75% Iberian: 100% Iberian mother, 50% Iberian father.
50% Iberian: 100% Iberian mother, authorised Duroc father.

The label must clearly show the percentage (75% or 50%). The words “dehesa” and “montanera” are permitted on these red seals, because the diet is genuinely acorn-based.

Green seal · Iberian free-range grain-fed ham

Pigs raised in freedom or semi-freedom on extensive or open-air intensive holdings, fed natural feeds of cereals and legumes, with the possibility of using pasture and field resources. They are not in an exclusive montanera.

It may be 100%, 75% or 50% Iberian breed.

The words “dehesa” and “montanera” are forbidden on any product with a green seal, because the diet is not exclusively acorn-based.

White seal · Iberian grain-fed ham

Pigs raised in intensive systems in line with the Iberian Pork Quality Standard, fed natural feeds of cereals and legumes.

It may be 100%, 75% or 50% Iberian breed.

It’s the most accessible tier of Iberian. It’s perfectly honest and legal, but it requires clear labelling: words like “dehesa”, “pata negra”, “bellota” or “montanera” cannot be attached to it.

Terms protected by law

The Iberian Pork Quality Standard reserves the use of three specific words:

Term	Permitted use	Forbidden use
Pata negra	Only on 100% Iberian acorn-fed (black seal)	In any other category
Dehesa	Only on acorn-fed products (black or red)	On free-range grain-fed and grain-fed
Montanera	Only on acorn-fed products (black or red)	On free-range grain-fed and grain-fed
Recebo	Banned in all categories since 2014	On any product
Ibérico puro	Banned as a generic term since 2014	On any product
Guijuelo	Only on products certified by the Guijuelo PDO	On non-covered products, wherever they come from

If you see any incorrect mix of these terms, the product breaks the law. It’s the simplest way to spot a fraud.

The band: the denomination-of-origin ribbon

Unlike the seal (legally mandatory on all Iberian), the band (vitola) is optional and appears only on hams covered by a Protected Denomination of Origin.

A band is a cardboard or plastic ribbon that wraps the shank of the ham, with the corresponding PDO logo and a qualification number. It means the piece has passed the controls of a specific Regulatory Council, more demanding than the general Iberian Pork Quality Standard.

In Spain there are four Iberian-ham PDOs:

Guijuelo PDO (Salamanca and surroundings) · the first PDO, founded in 1986.
Jabugo PDO (Huelva).
Dehesa de Extremadura PDO (Cáceres and Badajoz).
Los Pedroches PDO (Córdoba).

Each protects a specific geographical area and has its own specification. Only products that meet that specification can carry the PDO name. The term “Guijuelo” on an uncertified ham is illegal, even if it comes from Salamanca: it can only be used under the PDO mark.

The commercial label: your first read

Besides the seal and the band, every Iberian ham carries a commercial label placed by the maker. This label must contain, by law:

The full sales name: type + diet + breed (example: “100% Iberian acorn-fed ham”).
The maker’s name and address.
The health registration: of the type 10.xxxxx/SA (where the final letters indicate the province, like the old number plates).
Ingredients: Iberian pork, salt and authorised preservatives.
Nutritional information: per 100 g.
Best-before date.
Traceability: lot or piece number.

If the health registration is from Toledo and the labelling says “Guijuelo”, something doesn’t add up.

How to avoid fraud when buying

Five quick checks:

Does it have a tamper-proof colour seal that matches the category on the label?
Does the label use the correct terms? “Pata negra” only if it’s 100% acorn-fed, “dehesa” only if it’s acorn-fed.
Is the health registration consistent with the declared origin?
Does it carry a PDO band if it claims to be from Guijuelo, Jabugo, Dehesa de Extremadura or Los Pedroches?
Do they give you traceability if you ask? A serious producer will send you the piece’s history with the seal number.

If something doesn’t add up, don’t buy. And if you buy and it later doesn’t add up, you have the right to a refund and to report it to the consumer authorities of your region.

A note on our seals

Our 100% Iberian pata negra acorn-fed hams carry an ASICI black seal + a black Guijuelo PDO band. The 75% and 50% acorn-fed hams, a red seal + a PDO band (the 2025 amendment to the specification extended coverage to the 50%). The free-range grain-fed hams, a green seal; the grain-fed, a white seal, with no PDO band on these last two.

Each piece carries its unique number. If you ask for it, within 48 hours we send you the full traceability document: farm, dates, controls. It’s your right and it’s the way to know you’re buying what you think you’re buying.

Request the traceability of a piece → · See acorn-fed hams →