What's The Purpose Of The Red Ring Around Bologna?

Bologna is what many imagine to be a mystery meat — whether the contents of the food itself or the packaging. The truth isn't so mysterious: bologna is any standard meat that's pulverized into a paste before taking shape. In order to maintain the shape of bologna you can throw on a lunchtime sandwich, the meat needs a sleeve to hold everything together.

The reason cured meats like bologna need a casing to protect the contents is because of texture preservation. Unlike other meats, bologna is extra moist and tender. This is why it's tightly bound and packaged in a tube shape to keep it moist while preventing bacteria from forming, somewhat similar to tubes of cookie dough. A tube shape also makes bologna easier to use on a deli slicer or cut with a large knife. Shape and texture influence our food experience, and slicing meat into discs is one of the most convenient ways to enjoy protein on a sandwich.

Like any sausage, bologna comes with a casing, but what that casing is made of can vary. Bologna can have a sausage-like coat made of animal submucosa (intestine), and might have the "natural" label tacked onto them. The second type of casing is made from the collagen of animal hides. Either of these are edible and safe to consume.

Government food regulations state that packaging must indicate whether that casing is made from the same animal as the one you're buying. For example, if beef bologna is packed in sheep's intestines instead of cow's, the label needs to have that information. These sorts of packaging laws should also tell you if the casing is edible.

There's one inedible casing you need to watch out for, which is the glossy red ring around the bologna. That bright, waxy ring is made of a combination of cellulose and paper coated in glycerin or plastic. If you (or your sneaky dog) accidentally eat the red ring around the outside of a bologna slice, it should pass through the gastrointestinal system within a week. Consult a doctor (or vet) for prolonged digestive discomfort. Remove the ring before eating and enjoy your bologna cold or fried Southern-style on the griddle.