Ham louses, what are they and how can you avoid them?

Ham louses are mites and they are almost everywhere. The problem with them is that, in excess and if we do not detect them in time, they can spoil our Iberian ham.

They usually appear during the ripening stage in dryers and warehouses. It is at this time of healing, when the conditions of humidity and temperature are perfect to proliferate. That is why it is more than convenient to maintain a good temperature and humidity control in the place where the hams are cured, carrying out a good ventilation. It is also more than advisable to spread the pieces with butter because this prevents them from drying out in excess and avoid the appearance of mould or mites.

ham louses what they are avoid

And how do I know if my ham has mites?

It's a bit unpleasant but anything that moves in your Iberian ham shouldn't be there. Normally, the mites have a whitish color, although they can also acquire a brown tone, everything will depend on the diet.

If it turns out that your ham has mites, the first thing we recommend is to check what is affected. If you have started the piece and it has a rotten smell, probably one of the causes is that the mites have been moving towards the inside of the ham. In this case, return it. The company may not be aware of the infection and by informing them, they will be preventing them from economic losses and major health problems.

If your piece of ham is already started and only a small part has been affected you can carefully clean that part and treat it later.

The most advisable is to melt fat and cover the piece with the resulting liquid. In this way, you do not alter the organoleptic properties of ham and, in addition, you will penetrate all the recesses. And when the liquid fat solidifies, it will suffocate the possible mites that remain in our piece of ham.

The other way to deal with the problem is using sunflower oil, but it is less recommended because the flavor and smell of the ham may vary, as well as not being totally effective. (Olive oil is discarded because of its taste and smell even stronger).

  • What you should not do is washing the ham with warm water, since you would be adding moisture to the ham, and in addition this action will not guarantee to eliminate the infection.

  • Do not freeze the piece either. Mites can survive extreme temperatures and the refrigerator is not powerful enough to exterminate them, in addition to that you would end up altering its texture and flavor.

  • Do not use chemical products. It is not even allowed at the industrial level, where there are qualified staff and have the necessary facilities.

If your ham is intact, congratulations! It is the most common, even so, it would not hurt you to take certain precautions to avoid these unfortunate bugs. Maintain optimal hygienic conditions of all the tools for slicing the ham. Take off the cotton bag and the cord to hang it. Place it in a cool and dry place, away from sources of heat or humidity. And finally, if you are going to place it in a ham holder, cover it with a layer of butter or fat.

We hope that your only concern is if you accompany your Iberian ham with a good wine or a cool beer.