<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> I have had 2 responses about Smithfield ham. One from Texas said he was eating this ham with no problem, and the other sait it was from Smithfield Virginia, and said they explained the prosess in the site Epicurious. Also, I did find their site (Smithfield ham), but no e-mail address to join them. Mireille, Waterloo Quebec.