Their version of bologna—known as mortadella—has different colored spots on its surface. That’s because it contains bits of fat, peppercorns, and sometimes sliced pistachios. In the U.S., on the other hand, the USDA says all cooked sausages (including bologna and hot dogs) must be comminuted, or “reduced to minute particles.” In other words, the ingredients are emulsified and churned into a homogenous pink meat paste. As The Huffington Post puts it, “Mortadella is to bologna as fresh, roasted turkey on Thanksgiving is to sliced turkey lunchmeat.”
What’s in Your Bologna
Oscar Mayer, one of the best-known bologna producers, sells one bologna variety made from “mechanically separated” chicken and pork, with a little bit of beef added in. According to the USDA, “Mechanically separated meat is a paste-like and batter-like meat product produced by forcing bones, with attached edible meat, under high pressure through a sieve or similar device to separate the bone from the edible meat tissue.”
Aside from the meat, the recipe contains a blend of spices. A few of the most common ones added to bologna include salt, pepper, celery seed, coriander, paprika, and sugar—or, more commonly, corn syrup. And myrtle berry is often the secret ingredient that gives the meat its signature taste.
Although many companies won’t reveal their preferred blend of spices, most of the ingredients in bologna are no secret. They’re listed on the package, free for all to read. As it turns out, most mass-produced varieties of bologna are a lot less gross than you may think—as long as you’re OK with corn syrup-flavored meat batter. Who’s hungry?
