Nduja Paste

Nduja paste is a spicy, spreadable pork sausage originating from Calabria in southern Italy. It is typically made from cured pork fat, meat, and a generous amount of chilli peppers, which give it its characteristic red colour and heat. The mixture is then seasoned and often fermented before being stuffed into casings and left to mature.

Nduja paste is primarily used to add a rich, spicy, and savoury flavour to dishes. Its soft, spreadable texture makes it ideal for melting into sauces, spreading on bread or pizza bases, or incorporating into pasta dishes and stews. Manufacturers use it to enhance the taste profile of convenience foods such as pizzas and stuffed pastas.

Nduja paste is not a food additive and does not have an E-number. Its primary health implications relate to its fat and salt content, typical of cured meat products. The UK's Eatwell Guide advises that fatty, salty, and sweet foods should be eaten less often and in small quantities. The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified processed meat, which includes products like nduja, as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).