Consumers could soon face a food disaster: the cold.
Italian authorities have slaughtered 90,000 pigs in the past two months as African swine fever rages through the European country known for its food culture and variety of flavorful pork products, which are popular across the United States.
Food industry officials are concerned about shortages of salami, mortadella and pancetta. of Find delicacies You can find it at nearly every supermarket deli counter, sandwich shop, and Italian restaurant in the United States.
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“The spread of swine fever has reached an alarming level, putting not only the health of animals but also the entire pork sector at risk,” Ettore Prandini, president of industry association Confindustria, told Italy's agriculture minister. In a recent letter to
The potential devastation of deli counters is compounded by soaring food prices, strikes that disrupted commerce at U.S. ports, and a major recall by meat manufacturer Boar's Head that forced it to stop producing liverwurst. It's happening inside.
Pale pink and paper-thinly sliced, prosciutto is world-famous for its juicy flavor. Made only in the Parma province of Italy. (David Silverman/Getty Images)
But an outbreak of swine fever overseas has hit the salty, flavorful prosciutto, an essential ingredient and flavor in Italian cuisine, adding to the worries of chefs and restaurateurs.
Liverwurst, once a popular sandwich staple, is no longer made with boar's head, and Americans can no longer stomach it.
“Prosciutto has an element of “nummunum.'' It has to have an element of “numunum,'' Vito La Fata, co-owner of Vito's Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante in St. Louis, Missouri, told Fox News. told Digital.
The deep, rich flavor and smooth texture of the prosciutto passes through your mouth like a pleasant warm oil. La Fata's “nummunum element'' stimulates the taste buds.
“It's the foundation of an Italian restaurant,” he said.
Joe Isidori, chef-owner of Arthur & Sons, a popular red sauce Italian restaurant in New York City, grew up as the third generation of a family of butchers and chefs.
Joe Isidori, chef at Arthur & Sons in New York City (center), is concerned that swine fever in Italy could affect his menu in the U.S. Pictured on the left is Italy's Liano di Luriano ham being treated at Lanhirano. On the right is a woman tasting prosciutto in Parma, Italy. (David Silverman/Getty Images, Joe Isidori/Arthur & Sons, Edoardo Fornaciari/Getty Images)
The raw ham will also be placed on a pedestal.
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“Prosciutto runs through our veins. It's part of our DNA. I don't know if I could live without it,” Isidori told Fox News Digital.
Prosciutto and arugula pizza. This is one of the signature menu items at Vito's Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante in St. Louis, Missouri. (Pat Imig/Imig Communications)
The threat to prosciutto has grown in recent weeks as swine fever spread from its epicenter in northern Lombardy to neighboring Parma.
The province of Parma is world-famous for Italy's finest cured ham.
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Isidori is already planning for the worst-case scenario, noting that two of Arthur & Sons' most popular dishes feature traditional Italian ham.
Arthur & Sons' layered eggplant combines prosciutto, red peppers and burrata cheese. The spicy rigatoni alla vodka, which Isidori calls “world famous,” is enriched with smoked prosciutto.
Prosciutto is one of the main ingredients in New York City's Arthur & Sons' famous layered eggplant. (Joe Isidori/Arthur & Sons)
If there is a shortage of Parma ham, “we need to solve it,” Isidori said. “In our recipe, prosciutto is king.”
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La Fata of Vito's in St. Louis grew up in Sicily. But he's already equipped to survive and thrive in the Italian-born cold weather crisis.
He buys American things.
“We support local businesses,” La Fata said. “The prosciutto we use here, Volpi, is made in St. Louis. It reminds me of what I had in Sicily. It's a great prosciutto. It also has the great benefit of being local.”
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Volpi's prosciutto “has an element of numénum, just like the gold standard of Parma's prosciutto,” La Fata said.
Twelve countries, including China, Taiwan and Mexico, have banned imports of Italian pork delicacies such as prosciutto due to the outbreak of swine fever in Italy, the Associated Press reported. The United States is not among the 12 countries.
