Pancetta (Italian: [panˈtʃetta]) is a salt-cured pork belly meat product in a category known as salume.

The brine is usually composed of salt, nitrite, ascorbate, spices such as black pepper, chilli, garlic, juniper, and rosemary, and sometimes nitrate.

After salting and brining, the pork is rolled, with layers of fat on the outside surrounding a meaty core.

Following rolling and packing, the pork undergoes enzymatic reactions facilitated by exposure to a warm environment of 22–24 °C for 24 to 36 hours.

Sodium nitrites are used to prevent the growth of botulism-causing bacteria and listeria monocytogenes, as well as imparting desirable flavour and colour.

[8] Nitrates are said to act like time-released nitrites and are used in pancetta products that require longer periods of curing and drying.

[citation needed] In the European Union, the labelling of pancetta is regulated under the protected designation of origin (PDO) regime.

Pork or poultry sold in the US must be labelled as hormone-free and include a statement saying that federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.