Mortadella di Prato

Mortadella di Prato is a cooked pork charcuterie product from Prato, Tuscany, distinguished by the mandatory inclusion of Alkermes liqueur, which imparts a characteristic deep-pink interior colour. The specification prescribes precise proportions of six pork cuts, defined spice ingredients, sea salt, and garlic, and prohibits the addition of sodium glutamate.

About this designation

Mortadella di Prato is registered as a PGI under file number PGI-IT-01333, with EU protection granted on 8 May 2015 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000015954). The product is a cooked pork charcuterie composed exclusively of six defined cuts — shoulder, lard, ham trimmings, neck, cheeks, and breast — in proportions fixed by the specification. Alkermes liqueur is a mandatory ingredient at between 0.3 and 0.6 % of the mixture; ground pepper, whole peppercorns, sea salt, powdered spices (coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and cloves), and garlic are also required within defined percentage ranges. The addition of sodium glutamate is expressly prohibited. Pigs used must weigh at least 160 kg (within a margin of ± 10 %) and must be more than 9 months old at slaughter. A minimum interval of 24 hours and a maximum of 96 hours must elapse between slaughter and processing. All production stages — trimming, mincing and mixing, stuffing and tying, steaming and cooking, rinsing and cooling — must take place continuously within the delimited geographical area of Prato. The finished product is cylindrical or broadly elliptical, weighing between 0.5 and 10 kg, with a length of between 8 and 70 cm and a diameter of between 6 and 35 cm. The fat-to-protein ratio must not exceed 1.5.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 8 May 2015 under file number PGI-IT-01333 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000015954).
• Alkermes liqueur is a mandatory ingredient at between 0.3 and 0.6 % of the mixture.
• The addition of sodium glutamate is expressly prohibited by the specification.
• Pigs must weigh at least 160 kg (± 10 %) and be more than 9 months old at slaughter.

Tasting notes

Tuscan pink mortadella distinct from Bologna by Alkermes liqueur infusion, giving rosy hue and sweet-spicy aromatic notes; firmer texture, less fat than Bologna, with garlic, mace, and clove.

HoReCa use

Documentary sources from the eighteenth century record the practice of serving Mortadella di Prato with figs; the specification also notes its traditional use in sedani alla pratese, a local pasta dish.

Packaging

• whole-roll-vacuum-1.5-2.5kg
• half-roll-vacuum-1kg
• deli-sliced-vacuum-100g