According to The food companies is still the classic Christmas ham that is the favorite on the Christmas table for many Swedes. However, there is a common myth about the ham that many people seem to have bought into.
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Four out of five plan to eat Christmas ham this year
Four out of five Swedes plan to eat Christmas ham this year, and Daniel Emilsonpress manager at Livsmedelsföretagen, believes that it has been important on the Christmas table ever since the days of the farming community.
– If it’s Christmas, there should be Christmas ham, it’s firmly rooted in first place, said Daniel Emilson in an interview in Aftonbladet’s food site Better last year.
Four out of five plan to eat Christmas ham this year. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
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The myth of the Christmas ham that many Swedes believe
Many Swedes believe that the Christmas ham they serve on Christmas Eve comes from pigs that have been allowed to live outdoors. According to a survey conducted by CLAIM two out of three think that over 10 percent of the pigs in Sweden have had the opportunity to be outside, but in reality it is less than 1 percent of Sweden’s pigs that have been allowed to do so.
The pigs that are outdoor pigs in Sweden are KRAV-certified, which means that they are allowed to be outdoors all year and during the winter have access to rest yards from the stables. EU organic pigs, on the other hand, are allowed to stay in rest farms all year round, while conventionally raised pigs are never allowed outside.
This year, the three large food chains Ica, Coop and Axfood have included Christmas ham from KRAV-certified pigs in their assortment for the first time, and according to KRAV, interest in sustainably produced meat has increased. During the third quarter of 2024, sales of KRAV-branded meat rose by 46 percent.
According to a survey conducted by KRAV, two out of three believe that over 10 percent of the pigs have had the opportunity to be outside, but in reality it is less than 1 percent of Sweden’s pigs who have been allowed to do so. Photo: Kerstin Joensson
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Only 0.77 percent of the pigs have been allowed to go outdoors all year round
A total of around 2.6 million pigs are slaughtered in Sweden each year, but only 20,000 of these are KRAV certified, which corresponds to 0.77 percent of the total amount. Each pig gives between four and eight Christmas hams.
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