The pork comes from anywhere in Europe. Boneless hams are passed through Fomaco brine injectors, then are tumbled. The top grade of Madrange Ham has 8% brine injected, but because it loses 10% of its juices during tumbling the company can market the ham as “no added water.”
It is then packed into plastic bags, then moulds, then cooked in steam ovens at 158 F (70 C) for between 12 and 20 hours, depending on the size of the hams. The hams exit the cooker in a hygienically sealed part of the factory, to eliminate possible contamination from the side of the plant where the raw meat is handled.
The ham is then cut out of bags, its juices drained off, then repackaged whole, or sliced and packaged.
The Ruban Bleu line of ham is sold with the skin on
The American USDA has approved Madrange Ham for import into America since 1990. It was temporarily banned from February to October 2004, when the USDA banned all meat products from France. The ham sells in America for about $10 a pound (2006 prices.)
Production is now also done in Quebec. The company launched Quebec production with the Ruban Bleu line.
The company was founded in 1924 in Chamberet, France, and relocated to Feytiat, just outside Limoges, France in 1966.
The business is owned by the Madrangeas family (as of 2006.)
Sources
Harris, Chris. Dedication to Quality (Madrange Hams). In Meat Processing. Mount Morris, Ilinois. Watt Publishing Company. May 2006.