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Meat from Italy

Salame Brianza DOPSalame Brianza

Salame Brianza is a Lombard PDO salami of pork shoulder and trimmings, minced fine or coarse, seasoned with salt and pepper and stuffed into natural or artificial casings. It is dried warm or cold and aged at 9–13 °C for 14 to 105 days depending on its diameter. Its specification asks for a very mild taste that is never sour, with a pH of at least 5.3.

Fully documentedMeat14 days

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe specification fixes the cuts, the additive limits and the ageing table, but not the amounts of salt and pepper.
Pork shoulder, ham and belly trimmings and throatShoulders of at least 5 kg, trimmed of large connective tissue and soft fat[masaf-brianza-2024]
Salt and pepper (in pieces or ground)[masaf-brianza-2024]
Wine, sugar, dextrose, fructose or lactose, and starter cultures (optional)[masaf-brianza-2024][eu-brianza-2025]
Sodium and/or potassium nitrateAt most 150 ppmLowered from 195 ppm by the 2024 amendment[masaf-brianza-2024][eu-brianza-2025]
Sodium and/or potassium nitriteAt most 95 ppm[masaf-brianza-2024][eu-brianza-2013]
Ascorbic acid and its sodium salt, and garlic in a minimal dose (optional)[masaf-brianza-2024]
Starterstarter cultures are an optional ingredient; the single document says the fermentation that begins during ageing is due to the microbial flora of the place where the salami is stored and aged

Total time across the recorded steps: 14 days

Start
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What changes: Chilled pork is minced through a fine or a coarse plate

Step 1 of 4
Chill and mince
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactobacilli

The trimmed cuts are held in a freezing or chilling room, then minced.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Salame Brianza is a Lombard PDO salami of pork shoulder and trimmings, minced fine or coarse, seasoned with salt and pepper and stuffed into natural or artificial casings. It is dried warm or cold and aged at 9–13 °C for 14 to 105 days depending on its diameter. Its specification asks for a very mild taste that is never sour, with a pH of at least 5.3. Made in 4 steps over 14 days. The longest step, age, takes at least 14 days (MASAF decree of 27 September 2024) and runs at 9–13 °C (MASAF decree of 27 September 2024). Lactobacilli and cocci does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 14 daysSet[masaf-brianza-2024]Age
Temperature9–13 °CSet[masaf-brianza-2024]Age
AciditypH at least 5.3Set[eu-brianza-2013][masaf-brianza-2024]Age

What makes this one different

Salame Brianza is aged cooler (9–13 °C) than Salame Cremona, Felino or Piacentino (11–19 °C), its minimum ageing is set by diameter, and its rules forbid accelerated fermentation and require a taste that is mild and never sour.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Packed Salame BrianzaSalami up to 55 mm sold vacuum-packed, in a protective atmosphere or in microporous film age a little longer (21–32 days instead of 14–28).

Safety

The specification caps nitrate at 150 ppm and nitrite at 95 ppm and sets pH at least 5.3 with a water/protein ratio of at most 2.00. Slicing and packing must take place in the production area. These are figures for controlled production, not a home method. Washington State University Extension does not recommend making dry sausage at home, because S. aureus toxin can form if fermentation is not rigidly controlled.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Registered as an EU PDO in 1996 (Regulation (EC) No 1107/96). The specification was amended in 2013 (ageing in days by diameter) and in 2024 (nitrate cut to 150 ppm).

  1. [wsu-sausage] Washington State University Extension, Homemade Meat, Poultry, and Game Sausages (EB1661)gov
  2. [eu-brianza-2013] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 872/2013 of 9 September 2013 approving a minor amendment, 'Salame Brianza' PDO, Annex II consolidated single document, Official Journal L 243, 12.9.2013 (CELEX 32013R0872)spec
  3. [masaf-brianza-2024] MASAF decree of 27 September 2024, Modifiche ordinarie al disciplinare di produzione della DOP 'Salame Brianza' (GU n. 237, 9.10.2024), Arts. 3–6; copy hosted by Unionalimentarigov
  4. [eu-brianza-2025] European Commission 2025, Communication of an approved standard amendment, 'Salame Brianza' PDO, with single document, Official Journal C/2025/1826, 20.3.2025, read via the EU Publications Office cellarspec