United States Department of Agriculture
Food Safety While Hiking, Camping
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Food Safety Information
Ham and Food Safety
H ams: They can be fresh, cook-before-eating, cooked, picnic, and country types. There are so many kinds,
and their storage times and cooking times can be quite confusing. This background information serves to
carve up the facts and make them easier to understand.
Definition Hams may be fresh, cured, or cured-and-smoked. Ham is the cured leg of
pork. Fresh ham is an uncured leg of pork. Fresh ham will bear the term
“fresh” as part of the product name and is an indication that the product is
not cured. “Turkey” ham is a ready-to-eat product made from cured thigh
meat of turkey. The term “turkey ham” is always followed by the
statement “cured turkey thigh meat.”
The usual color for cured ham is deep rose or pink; fresh ham (which is not
cured) has the pale pink or beige color of a fresh pork roast; country hams
and prosciutto (which are dry cured) range from pink to a mahogany color.
Hams are either ready to eat or not. Ready-to-eat hams include prosciutto
and cooked hams; they can be eaten right out of the package. Fresh hams
and hams that are only trichinae treated (which may include heating,
freezing, or curing in the plant) must be cooked by the consumer before
eating. Hams that must be cooked will bear cooking instructions and safe
Hams that are not ready to eat, but have the appearance of ready-to-eat
products, will bear a prominent statement on the principal display panel
indicating the product needs cooking, e.g., “cook thoroughly.” In addition,
the label must bear cooking directions.
Curing Solutions Curing is the addition of salt, sodium or potassium nitrate (or saltpeter),
nitrites, and sometimes sugar, seasonings, phosphates, and cure
accelerators, e.g., sodium ascorbate, to pork for preservation, color
development, and flavor enhancement.
Nitrate and nitrite contribute to the characteristic cured flavor and reddish-
pink color of cured pork. Nitrite and salt inhibit the growth of Clostridium
botulinum, a deadly microorganism which can occur in foods under certain
Curing and flavoring solutions are added to pork by injection and by
massaging and tumbling the solution into the muscle, both of which
produce a more tender product.
Dry Curing In dry curing, the process used to make country hams and prosciutto,
fresh ham is rubbed with a dry-cure mixture of salt and other ingredients.
Dry curing produces a salty product. In 1992, FSIS approved a trichinae
treatment method that permits substituting up to half of the sodium
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline
agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring
that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products 1-888-MPHotline
is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. (1-888-674-6854)
Ham and Food Safety
chloride with potassium chloride to result in lower sodium levels. Since
dry curing draws out moisture, it reduces ham weight by at least 18% —
usually 20 to 25%. This results in a more concentrated ham flavor.
Dry-cured hams may be aged more than a year. Six months is the
traditional process, but it may be shortened according to aging
These uncooked hams are safe stored at room temperature because
they contain so little water that bacteria can’t multiply in them. Dry-cured
ham is not injected with a curing solution or processed by immersion in a
curing solution, but it may be smoked. Today, dry cured hams may be
marketed as items that need preparation on the part of the consumer to
make them safe to eat. So, as with all meat products, it is important to
read the label of hams to determine the proper preparation needed.
Wet Curing or Brine Cure Brine curing is the most popular way of producing hams. It is a wet cure
whereby fresh meat is injected with a curing solution before cooking.
Brining ingredients can include ingredients such as salt, sugar, sodium
nitrite, sodium nitrate, sodium erythorbate, sodium phosphate,
potassium chloride, water, and flavorings. Smoke flavoring (liquid smoke)
may also be injected with brine solution. Cooking may occur during this
Smoking and Smoke After curing, some hams are smoked. Smoking is a process by which ham
Flavoring is hung in a smokehouse and allowed to absorb smoke from smoldering
fires, which gives added flavor and color to meat and slows the
development of rancidity. Not all smoked meat is smoked from smoldering
fires. A popular process is to heat the ham in a smokehouse and
generate smoke from atomized smoke flavor.
Foodborne Pathogens These foodborne pathogens (organisms in food that can cause disease)
are associated with ham:
• Trichinella spiralis (trichinae) - Parasites are sometimes present in
hogs. All hams must be processed according to USDA guidelines
to kill trichinae.
• Staphylococcus aureus (staph) - Bacteria are destroyed by cooking
and processing, but can be re-introduced via mishandling. The
bacteria can then produce a toxin which is not destroyed by
further cooking. Dry curing of hams may or may not destroy S.
aureus, but the high salt content on the exterior inhibits these
bacteria. When the ham is sliced, the moister interior will permit
staphylococcal multiplication. Thus sliced dry-cured hams must be
• Mold - Can often be found on country cured ham. Most of these
are harmless, but some molds can produce mycotoxins. Molds
grow on hams during the long curing and drying process because
the high salt and low temperatures do not inhibit these robust
organisms. DO NOT DISCARD the ham. Wash it with hot water and
scrub off the mold with a stiff vegetable brush.
Food Safety Information 2
Ham and Food Safety
Quantity to Buy When buying a ham, estimate the size needed according to the number
of servings the type of ham should yield.
• 1/4 - 1/3 lb. per serving of boneless ham
• 1/3 - 1/2 lb. of meat per serving of bone-in ham
Cooking or Reheating Both whole or half, cooked, vacuum-packaged hams packaged in
federally inspected plants and canned hams can be eaten cold just as
Hams they come from their packaging.
However, if you want to reheat these cooked hams, set the oven no
lower than 325 °F and heat to an internal temperature of 140 °F as
measured with a food thermometer.
Unpackaged, cooked ham can be potentially contaminated with
pathogens. For cooked hams that have been repackaged in any other
location outside the federally inspected plant or for leftover cooked ham,
heat to 165 °F.
Spiral-cut cooked hams are also safe to eat cold. The unique slicing
method, invented in 1957, solves any carving difficulties. These hams are
best served cold because heating sliced whole or half hams can dry out
the meat and cause the glaze to melt and run off the meat. However, if
reheating is desired, hams that were packaged in plants under USDA
inspection must be heated to 140 °F as measured with a food
thermometer (165 °F for leftover spiral-cut hams or ham that has been
repackaged in any other location outside the plant). To reheat a spiral-
sliced ham in a conventional oven, cover the entire ham or portion with
heavy aluminum foil and heat at 325 °F for about 10 minutes per pound.
Individual slices may also be warmed in a skillet or microwave.
Cook-before-eating hams or fresh hams must reach 160 °F to be safely
cooked before serving. Cook in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. Hams
can also be safely cooked in a microwave oven, other countertop
appliances, and on the stove. Consult a cookbook for specific methods
Country hams can be soaked 4 to 12 hours or longer in the refrigerator
to reduce the salt content before cooking. Then they can be cooked by
boiling or baking. Follow the manufacturer’s cooking instructions.
Food Safety Information 3
Ham and Food Safety
TIMETABLE FOR COOKING HAM
NOTE: Set oven temperature to 325 °F. Both cook-before-eating cured and fresh hams should be cooked
to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 °F. Reheat cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected
plants to 140 °F and all others to 165 °F.
Cut Weight/lbs Minutes/lb
SMOKED HAM, cook-before-eating
Whole, bone in 10 to 14 18 to 20
Half, bone in 5 to 7 22 to 25
Shank or Butt Portion, bone in 3 to 4 35 to 40
Arm Picnic Shoulder, boneless 5 to 8 30 to 35
Shoulder Roll (Butt), boneless 2 to 4 35 to 40
SMOKED HAM, cooked
Whole, bone in 10 to 14 15 to 18
Half, bone in 5 to 7 18 to 24
Arm Picnic Shoulder, boneless 5 to 8 25 to 30
Canned ham, boneless 3 to 10 15 to 20
Vacuum packed, boneless 6 to 12 10 to 15
Spiral cut, whole or half 7 to 9 10 to 18
FRESH HAM, uncooked
Whole leg, bone in 12 to 16 22 to 26
Whole leg, boneless 10 to 14 24 to 28
Half, bone in 5 to 8 35 to 40
Whole or Half. (Soak 4 to 12 hours in refrigerator. Cover with water and boil 20 to 25 minutes per
pound. Drain, glaze, and brown at 400 °F for 15 minutes.
Food Safety Information 4
Ham and Food Safety
HAM STORAGE CHART
NOTE: Freezer storage is for quality only. Frozen hams remain safe indefinitely.
Type of Ham Refrigerate Freeze
Fresh (uncured) Ham, uncooked 3 to 5 days 6 months
Fresh (uncured) Ham, cooked 3 to 4 days 3 to 4 months
Cured Ham, cook-before-eating; 5 to 7 days or “use-by” date* 3 to 4 months
Cured Ham, cook-before-eating; 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
after consumer cooks it
Cooked Ham, vacuum sealed at 2 weeks 1 to 2 months
plant, undated; unopened
Cooked Ham, vacuum sealed at “Use-by” date* 1 to 2 months
plant, dated; unopened
Cooked Ham, vacuum sealed at 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
plant, undated or dated; opened
Cooked Ham, whole, store 7 days 1 to 2 months
Cooked Ham, half, store wrapped 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
Cooked Ham, slices, store wrapped 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
Spiral-cut hams and leftovers from 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
**Country Ham, uncooked, cut 2 to 3 months 1 month
Country Ham, cooked 7 days 1 month
Canned Ham, labeled “Keep 6 to 9 months Do not freeze
Canned Ham, labeled “Keep 7 days 1 to 2 months
***Canned Ham, shelf stable, 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 months
Lunch Meat Ham, sealed at plant, 2 weeks or “use-by” date* 1 to 2 months
Lunch Meat Ham, sealed at plant, 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
Lunch Meat Ham, sliced in store 3 to 5 days 1 to 2 months
Prosciutto, Parma or Serrano Ham, 2 to 3 months 1 month
dry Italian or Spanish type, cut
*Company determines its “use-by” date and stands by it.
** A whole, uncut country ham can be stored safely at room temperature for up to 1 year. The ham is
safe after 1 year, but the quality may suffer.
*** An unopened shelf-stable, canned ham may be stored at room temperature for 2 years.
Food Safety Information 5
Ham and Food Safety
CANNED HAM: “Canned Meat with Natural Juices” is acceptable for product that has been pumped or
contains up to 10% of a solution before canning and processing. Processed, canned, uncured meat products,
(when water or broth is added to the can) may not be called “with natural juices.” The acceptable name
would be “with juices.” Canned hams come in two forms:
• Shelf stable - Can be stored on the shelf up to 2 years at room temperature. Generally not over 3
pounds in size. Processed to kill all spoilage bacteria and pathogenic organisms such as Clostridium
botulinum, Salmonella, and Trichinella spiralis. The product is free of microorganisms capable of
growing at ordinary room temperature. However, high temperature storage — above 122 °F (50 °C)
— may result in harmless thermophylic bacteria multiplying and swelling or souring the product.
• Refrigerated - May be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 to 9 months. Its weight can be up to 8%
more than original uncured weight due to the uptake of water during curing. It need not be labeled
“Added water” except for “In Natural Juices.” Net weight is the weight of the actual ham excluding
the container. Processed at a time to temperature sufficient to kill infectious organisms (including
Trichinae); however, the ham is not sterilized so spoilage bacteria may grow eventually.
CAPACOLLO, COOKED (Capicola, Capocolla, Capacola, Capicollo, Cappicola, Capacolo — Italian): This
product does not meet the definition of ham because it is not from the hind leg of a hog. It is boneless pork
shoulder butts which are cured and then cooked. The curing process may be dry curing, immersion curing, or
pump curing. The cured product is coated with spices and paprika before cooking. This product shall always
be labeled with “Cooked” as part of the product name. Water added is permitted.
CAPACOLLA, HAM, COOKED: Ham that has been cured and then cooked.
COOK BEFORE EATING: Needs cooking or further cooking. Is not cooked in the plant or heat treated in the
plant and should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 °F.
COTTAGE “HAM”: A cut from the top end of the shoulder, known as the shoulder butt, which has been cured
in brine. Because it is not from the hind leg of the hog, it doesn’t meet the definition of ham. The meat is not
cooked. Another term for it is “cottage roll.”
COUNTRY HAM, COUNTRY STYLE HAM, or DRY CURED HAM, and COUNTRY PORK SHOULDER,
COUNTRY STYLE PORK SHOULDER, or DRY CURED PORK SHOULDER: The uncooked, cured, dried,
smoked or unsmoked meat food products made respectively from a single piece of meat conforming to the
definition of “ham’’ or from a single piece of meat from a pork shoulder. They are prepared by the dry
application of salt or by salt and one or more optional ingredients; e.g., nutritive sweeteners, spices,
seasonings, flavorings, sodium or potassium nitrate, and sodium or potassium nitrite. They may not be
injected with curing solutions nor placed in curing solutions. The product must be treated for the destruction
of possible live trichinae.
FULLY COOKED or COOKED: Needs no further cooking because it is fully cooked at the establishment
where it was produced and packaged. Product can be eaten directly as it comes from its packaging or
reheated. Fully cooked is synonymous with cooked.
GELATIN: Gelatin is a binder/extender and is only permitted in a few meat and poultry products like sausage,
luncheon meat, and meat loaves. About 1/4 ounce of dry gelatin is often added before a canned ham is
sealed to cushion the ham during shipment. During processing, natural juices cook out of the ham and
combine with the gelatin. When the ham cools, a jell forms. Gelatin is included in the net weight statement
on the label and its presence is also qualified in the product name; e.g, “Canned Ham, Gelatin Added.”
HALF HAM: “Half Ham” is permitted on labels for semi-boneless ham products which have had the shank
muscles removed during processing. The two halves of the finished product have approximately an equal
amount of bone. The term “No Slices Removed” has also been deemed suitable for use with a ham item
referred to as “Half Ham.”
HAM: Cured leg of pork. In order to be labeled as “Ham,” the product must be at least 20.5% protein in lean
portion as described in 9 CFR 319.104. Added water is permitted in a product labeled as “Ham.” In fact,
water will be declared in order of predominance in the ingredients statement. This is how the cure solution is
introduced into a ham.
Food Safety Information 6
Ham and Food Safety
HAM AND WATER PRODUCTS X% of Weight is Added Ingredients: Product contains more additives than a
“Ham Water Added,” but the product name must indicate percent of “added ingredients.” For example, “Ham
and Water Product 25% of Weight is Added Ingredients” for any canned ham with less than 17.0% protein.
HAM, BOILED: A fully cooked, boneless product which must be cooked in water and may be processed in a
casing or can. The product may be of various shapes and may be partially cooked in boiling water.
HAM, FRESH (or uncured): The uncured leg of pork. Since the meat is not cured or smoked, it has the flavor
of a fresh pork loin roast or pork chops. Its raw color is pinkish red and after cooking, grayish white. Ham
that does not contain a cure must be labeled either “Fresh” or “Uncured” — prepared without nitrate or
nitrite. This also applies to cooked product, and must be labeled cooked product “Cooked Uncured Ham.”
HAM SALAD: Product must contain at least 35% cooked ham. Chopped ham may be used without it
appearing in the product name.
HAM, SCOTCH STYLE: A cured, uncooked, boned, and rolled whole ham either tied or in a casing.
HAM SHANK END, HAM SHANK HALF, or HAM SHANK PORTION: The lower, slightly pointed part of the leg.
A “portion” has the center slices removed for separate sale as “ham steaks.” A half ham does not have slices
HAM, SKINLESS, SHANKLESS: A ham with all of the skin and the shank removed. The leg bone and aitch
(hip) bone remain.
HAM, SMITHFIELD: This is an aged, dry-cured ham made exclusively in Smithfield, Virginia. The use of the
words “brand” or “style,” e.g., “Smithfield Brand Ham,” “Smithfield Style Ham,” does not eliminate this
HAM STEAK: Another name for ham slices.
HAM — WATER ADDED: The product is at least 17.0% protein with 10% added solution.
HAM with NATURAL JUICES: The product is at least 18.5% protein.
HICKORY-SMOKED HAM: A cured ham which has been smoked by hanging over burning hickory wood chips
in a smokehouse. May not be labeled “hickory smoked” unless hickory wood has been used. Atomized liquid
hickory smoke and heat can combine to produce “hickory smoke.”
HONEY-CURED: May be shown on the labeling of a cured product if (1) the honey used contains at least
80% solids or is U.S. grade C or above; (2) honey is the only sweetening ingredient or when other
sweetening ingredients are used in combination with honey, they do not exceed 1/2 the amount of honey
used; and (3) honey is used in an amount sufficient to flavor and/or affect the appearance of the finished
”LEAN” HAM: The term “lean” may be used on a ham’s label provided the product contains less than 10
grams fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per 100 grams and
Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC).
”EXTRA LEAN” HAM: A ham labeled “extra lean” must contain less than 5 grams fat, less than 2 grams
saturated fat, and the same cholesterol as allowed per the amount of “lean” ham.
PORK SHOULDER PICNIC: A front shoulder cut of pork. The term “picnic” cannot be used unless
accompanied with the primal or subprimal cut. Pork shoulder picnic is not always a cured item. A shoulder
“picnic” comes from the lower portion of the shoulder.
PROSCIUTTO: Italian for ham, dry cured. The product name “Prosciutto” is acceptable on labeling to identify
a dry-cured ham. An Italian-style dry cured raw ham; not smoked; often coated with pepper. Prosciutto can
be eaten raw because the low water content prevents bacterial growth. PARMA HAM is prosciutto from the
Parma locale in Italy. These hams tend to be larger than the U.S. produced product, as Italian hogs are
larger at slaughter.
Food Safety Information 7
Ham and Food Safety
PROSCIUTTO, COOKED: The product name “Cooked Prosciutto” is acceptable on labeling to identify a
Prosciutto that is cooked.
SECTIONED AND FORMED HAM or CHUNKED AND FORMED HAM: A boneless ham that is made from
different cuts, tumbled or massaged and reassembled into a casing or mold and cooked. During this process
it is usually thoroughly defatted. The qualifying phrase “sectioned and formed” is no longer required on
boneless ham products, e.g., “ham” and “ham-water added.” The addition of small amounts of ground ham
added as a binder to such products may be used without declaration. The amount of ground ham that may
be used can represent no more than 15% of the weight of the ham ingredients at the time of formulation.
Products containing more than 15% ground ham trimmings must be labeled to indicate the presence of the
ground ham; e.g., “a portion of ground ham added.”
SUGAR CURED: May be used on the labeling of a cured product (1) if the sugar used is cane sugar or beet
sugar; (2) sugar is the only sweetening ingredient or when other sweetening ingredients are used in
combination with sugar, they do not exceed one-half the amount of sugar used; and (3) sugar is used in an
amount sufficient to flavor and/or affect the appearance of the finished product.
WESTPHALIAN HAM: A German-style dry cured ham that is similar to Prosciutto; smoked, sometimes made
with juniper berries.
NOTE: Most of the definitions in this glossary are from the FSIS “Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book.”
To access this book, go to: www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/larc/Policies/PolicyBook.pdf.
Food Safety Questions?
Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline Ask Karen!
If you have a question The Hotline is open year-round FSIS’ automated response
about meat, poultry, or Monday through Friday system can provide food safety
egg products, call the from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. information 24/7
USDA Meat and ET (English or
Poultry Hotline Spanish). Recorded
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