The British supermarket chain Asda has won its court battle against the producers of the Italian delicacy, Parma ham.

A High Court judge has decided that Asda can continue to slice and package imported Parma ham at its Chippenham processing plant.

Asda's Denise Jagger says the company is delighted with the judgement (1'04")

The Italian producers had argued this was illegal, although they were happy for the meat to be sliced and sold over the delicatessen counter.

A judge ruled that although EC regulations gave Parma ham a protected "designation of origin", they did not include the strict Italian rules on slicing and packaging.

The ruling is a victory for Asda in its battle with the powerful Parma ham trade association, Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma.

A victory for Asda

Asda celebrated its win by setting up a Parma ham stall on the pavement outside the court in London with a placard describing the case as "the barmy Parma drama."

According to Italian law, the ham must be fully prepared for sale in the Parma region of the Po Valley under the control of the Consorzio, which has police-like powers to enforce compliance with the rules.

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