Police in Spain have issued a warning to travellers visiting the country about one of the nation’s most famous cultural items.

Iberian police have warned visitors to ensure that they are buying genuine Iberian ham when visiting the country rather than cheaper alternatives that might not be what they claim to be.

The ham is particularly popular over Christmas and New Year but there are fears that criminals are exploiting the fame of the ham to cash in.

Local police have taken the decision to sound the alarm to make sure consumers are not being conned and that quality standards are being met.

They have warned potential buyers to pay attention to the colours of the labels and seals to ensure they are getting the genuine product.

A Guardia Civil spokesperson from their Seprona environmental unit said: “The seal colours are defined by law with black indicating that the ham is 100% Iberian, while red equates to the Iberian acorn-fed ham (not necessarily of the 100% Iberian breed).”

“Green identifies the Iberian cebo de campo ham and white represents the Iberian cebo ham.”

Legitimate Iberian ham will have a certification seal that corresponds to the label.

The seal ensures that the ham has undergone quality controls and complies with the regulations established for its category.

Local officials have emphasised the need to buy from established stores and to avoid the temptation to purchase cheaper alternatives from makeshift flea markets or even from the boot of a car.

Not only is there a risk of purchasing a sub-standard product, there is a risk of poor food hygiene associated with counterfeit meat.

Potential purchasers have been warned that buying a whole ham allows buyers to ensure that it is genuine.

A recent study by the OCU consumer organisation said that choosing a ham that has already been sliced can cost up to twice as much as buying it whole.