Normally, mortadella is from Italy—but some products may have been illegally imported from Ecuador.
The USDA Just Issued a Health Alert About Mortadella—Here’s Why
Published on Dec. 03, 2024
Skip the cold cuts for lunch this week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for mortadella that may have been illegally imported from Ecuador, a country ineligible to export meat products to the United States.
Mortadella is a cured pork product made from finely ground pork and pork fat cubes and seasoned with peppercorns. It’s the star of a mortadella sandwich, featured in a muffuletta sandwich and in the mix for Italian-inspired charcuterie boards. If you like to make cold-cut sandwiches, keep an eye out for strangely labeled meats.
What mortadella received the public health alert?
The FSIS issued a public health alert after it found 1-pound vacuum-sealed packages of “Mortadella Especial Bolognia” without the USDA mark of inspection or a USDA establishment number on the labels.
This issue was discovered while FSIS was performing surveillance at a warehouse. The frozen mortadella may have been illegally imported from Ecuador, which is a country that can’t export meat to the U.S.
Products were shipped to retail and distributor locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
The FSIS will continue investigating the origins of the product and whether additional products have been affected.
What should I do next?
If you purchased any mortadella labeled “Mortadella Especial Bolognia,” throw it out or return it to the place of purchase. The same goes for any recently purchased unmarked frozen mortadella.
It’s unlikely, but if you have eaten the product and begin to feel ill, contact your health care provider.
