Mortadella Bologna

Mortadella Bologna is a cooked pork-butchery product, generally oval or cylindrical in shape, made from pigmeat encased in natural or synthetic casings and subjected to prolonged cooking. Its production is distributed across a defined area of northern and central Italy. The name cannot be translated and must appear on the product together with the words "protected geographical indication" or the initials "PGI".

About this designation

Mortadella Bologna holds PGI status, registered under file number PGI-IT-0325 with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013139, with EU protection granted on 18 July 1998. The applicant group at the time of application was Associazione Industriali delle Carni – ASS.I.CA; the current producer group responsible for the designation is the Consorzio Italiano Tutela Mortadella Bologna. The geographical area of production comprises the territory of the following Italian regions or provinces: Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, the Province of Trento, Marche, Lazio and Tuscany. Within this area, production is described as evenly distributed between northern and central Italy and Emilia-Romagna. The specification requires that only striated muscle tissue of swine — not of other animals — and high-quality fat from the throat may be used. Protein may not be added. Sugar and certain additives may be used only in small preset quantities. The production process involves preparation of the meat constituents, preparation of the bacon strips, mixing, making into sausages, cooking and cooling. The sausage casings are natural or synthetic, and the product is subjected to prolonged cooking. The cut face of the product shows perlaceous white squares of adipose tissue, possibly joined to muscular fragments. The name "Mortadella Bologna" cannot be translated and must appear on the product put up for consumption, followed by the words "protected geographical indication" and/or the initials "PGI", which may be given in the language of the country in which marketing takes place.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 18 July 1998 under file number PGI-IT-0325, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013139.
• The specification permits only striated muscle tissue of swine and high-quality fat from the throat; protein may not be added.
• The permitted production area spans eight regions or provinces: Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, the Province of Trento, Marche, Lazio and Tuscany.
• The name "Mortadella Bologna" cannot be translated and must appear on the product alongside the designation "protected geographical indication" or the initials "PGI".

Tasting notes

Large pink emulsified pork sausage studded with white fat cubes and pistachios. Silky-soft texture, mild sweet-savory pork flavor, gentle peppercorn and myrtle berry warmth, butter-like richness.

HoReCa use

Sliced very thin or cubed; served on focaccia, in tigella sandwiches, in cubes as aperitivo with Lambrusco; minced into Bolognese mortadella mousse for gnocco fritto.

Packaging

• whole-roll-vacuum-2-5kg
• half-roll-vacuum-1.5kg
• deli-sliced-vacuum-100g
• pre-sliced-tray-200g
• cube-pack-200g
• mousse-tub-150g