Iberico Ham Labels Explained: Black, Red, Green and White

How to read a Spanish Iberico ham label in 30 seconds: the four colour tags, what bellota, cebo de campo and cebo mean, and why the breed percentage matters.

By The Spain at the Table team · Updated 8 November 2026

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Iberico ham is one of the most regulated foods in Spain. Since 2014, a national quality standard (the Norma de Calidad del Ibérico) defines exactly what can be called “Ibérico” and forces producers to say two things on every label: how Iberian the pig is and what it ate. Once you know how to read it, you’ll never overpay for the wrong ham.

The two words that matter

1. Breed: 100%, 75% or 50%

• 100% Ibérico — both parents are purebred Iberian pigs.
• 75% or 50% Ibérico — the mother is purebred Iberian, the father is usually a Duroc. The ham is still “Ibérico”, but with less of the marbling that makes the breed special.

The percentage must appear on the label, e.g. “100% raza ibérica” or “50% raza ibérica”.

2. Diet: bellota, cebo de campo or cebo

• Bellota (acorn-fed) — the pig spends its final fattening season, the montanera (roughly October to March), free-range in the dehesa oak woodland eating acorns and grass. This is what gives the fat its nutty aroma.
• Cebo de campo (free-range, grain-fed) — raised outdoors with space to roam, fed a mix of grain and pasture.
• Cebo (grain-fed) — raised on a farm and fed grain.

Want to taste it? Our pick to start with:

The four colour tags

Every whole leg carries a plastic tag (precinto) around the hoof end in one of four colours. Pre-sliced packs print the same classification on the label.

“Pata negra” (“black hoof”) is only allowed on black-label ham. If you see it on anything else, walk away.

→ Free chart: download the four Ibérico labels as an image (PNG). Bloggers and teachers are welcome to use it with a credit and a link to this page.

Jamón vs paleta

• Jamón is the hind leg: bigger, more meat, longer cure (the standard sets a minimum of roughly two years for a full-size leg; good bellota hams usually get three or more).
• Paleta is the front leg (shoulder): smaller, a bit more intense, usually cheaper. Excellent value — read its label exactly the same way. → Whole leg or sliced?

What this means for UK buyers

• If a UK listing just says “Iberico ham” with no breed percentage or diet, assume it’s the lowest grade.
• “Acorn-fed”, “bellota” and “100%” together = black label. That’s what we recommend for a first taste.
• Red label can be very good and cheaper. Green and white are everyday hams in Spain — fine in a sandwich, but not what people rave about.

Two black-label options you can order in the UK:

What does “50% raza ibérica” mean?

It means the pig is half Ibérico: its mother is a purebred Ibérico sow and its father a Duroc boar. With a 75% Ibérico father (half Ibérico, half Duroc) the label says “75% raza ibérica”. Only “100% raza ibérica” means both parents are purebred, and only that, combined with an acorn diet, earns the black label.

Quick checklist

• ✔ Breed percentage printed on the label
• ✔ “Bellota” / “acorn-fed” if you want the top tier
• ✔ Jamón or paleta clearly stated
• ✔ Producer name and region in Spain
• ✔ Sold by a known UK importer or Spanish shop

Next: Guijuelo vs Jabugo: the four origins of Iberico ham

Sources: Spain’s Ibérico quality standard (Real Decreto 4/2014, BOE) · Spanish Ministry of Agriculture: the Ibérico standard

→ Not sure how Ibérico differs from Serrano? Iberico vs Serrano