The EU Fab 6 marks 365 years of Mortadella Bologna with Bologna event

The EU Fab 6 will join Mortadella Day on Oct. 24 in Bologna to celebrate 365 years since the 1661 rules that shaped Mortadella Bologna IGP. The event also marks the 25th anniversary of the consortium that protects the product and spotlights the EU campaign’s push to promote certified European foods in the UK and Switzerland.

Why it matters: - Mortadella Bologna IGP is using the 365th anniversary of its 1661 production rules to reinforce the value of Europe’s protected-food system. - The milestone also underscores the 25th anniversary of the Consorzio Italiano Tutela Mortadella Bologna, which has worked since 2001 to protect and promote the product. - The EU Fab 6 campaign is tying the celebration to a wider effort to raise awareness of PDO and PGI foods among consumers, media and operators in the UK and Switzerland.

What happened: - On Oct. 24, The EU Fab 6 – Savour the PDO and PGI Wines and Deli Meats from Europe will celebrate Mortadella Day. - The main event will take place at Palazzo Re Enzo in central Bologna, with free admission. - The program includes a live cooking demo with Bologna chef Max Poggi and Daniele Reponi. - The event will also feature historical reenactments, tastings and an exhibit dedicated to the 365th anniversary of the 1661 decree. - Creator participants from the The EU Fab 6 campaign will join a special treasure hunt through Bologna focused on the city and its “Pink Queen.”

The details: - The Mortadella Bologna IGP anniversary dates to Oct. 24, 1661, when Cardinal Farnese issued a decree in Bologna that set some of the earliest production rules for the product. - The IGP system links Mortadella Bologna to a defined production tradition and specific standards. - The product is known well beyond its place of origin while remaining closely tied to Bologna’s culinary heritage. - The EU-funded “The EU Fab 6 – Savour the PDO and PGI Wines and Deli Meats from Europe” campaign promotes European excellence in the UK and Switzerland. - The campaign uses tastings, educational activities and promotional events to support the visibility and value of certified PDO and PGI products. - The initiative is supported by six consortia: Consorzio Italiano Tutela Mortadella Bologna, Consorzio Cacciatore Italiano, Consorzio Zampone e Cotechino Modena IGP, ODG des Premières Côtes de Bordeaux et Cadillac, Asociación para la Promoción del vino de Garnacha – Garnacha Origen, and Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo. - More information is available on the campaign’s social channels, Instagram and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The Bologna event is doing more than marking an anniversary. It is packaging heritage, certification and tourism into a single public-facing moment. - The creator-led treasure hunt suggests the campaign is trying to reach younger and more social-media-driven audiences, not just food industry professionals. - The focus on the UK and Switzerland points to a market-building strategy for European protected foods outside the EU.

What's next: - The EU Fab 6 will continue promoting PDO and PGI products through events, tastings and educational outreach in the UK and Switzerland. - The Mortadella Bologna consortium is expected to keep using the anniversary to bring the product’s history to new consumers. - Bologna’s anniversary celebration will serve as a flagship moment for the broader campaign’s visibility this year.

The bottom line: - Mortadella Day is both a heritage celebration and a marketing push for Europe’s protected-food labels.