An experimental investigation was carried out to assess the quality of the lipid fraction of mortadella, focussing on the role of the lipid fraction in defining the nutritional and health characteristics of this product. The data obtained from the evaluation of the hydrolytic and oxidative degradation showed high variability among the samples. In particular, the high level of hydrolytic degradation observed in some samples could be related to the use of frozen lard, partially degraded, while an intense oxidative degradation could be related to the cooking treatment performed in the production of mortadella. The determination of the fatty acid composition revealed values of PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios far from those recommended by nutritionists but comparable to the values reported in the literature for other meat-based products.