The product must be of the Primura variety and must be identifiable from its physical appearance, its chemical composition and its organoleptic characteristics, in accordance with the following specifications: shape of tubers: regular elongated oval with superficial, shallow eyes; smooth and intact skin without any external defects altering its characteristics; size of tubers: homogeneous, between 40 mm and 75 mm;

firm texture with a colour ranging from white to pale yellow;

good keeping qualities.

The average composition per 100 g of edible potato is as follows:

Water 70,0-85,0 %; laboratory method as laid down by the Ministerial Decree of 27 May 1985 (Italian Official Gazette No 145, 2.6.1985); Protein 0,9-2,6 %; laboratory method specified as ISO 937 - 1978 (E) and AOAC official method No 932.08; Maximum fat content 1,12 %; laboratory method specified as ISTISAN 1996/34 p. 41-43; Carbohydrates 8,0-19,0 %; analytical data obtained by subtraction from 100 of the water, ash, fat, protein and dietary fibre values; Dietary fibre 0,9-4,0 %; laboratory method specified as AOAC 985.29 17th edition 2003; Crude ash 0,4-1,45 %; method of analysis specified as ISTISAN 1996/34 p. 77-78 and ISO 936:1998 (E); Potassium (K), with a minimum value of at least 250 mg/100 g product; method of analysis specified as EPA 3015A and EPA 6010B.

The Primura variety is the symbol of the ‘Patata di Bologna’ thanks to its appealing appearance on the plate, average dry matter content, firmness, typical but not over-pronounced flavour and its good keeping qualities. These characteristics are the result of cultivation in suitable soils which have remained unchanged over the years and thanks to which the potato still satisfies market requirements.

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All steps, from sowing to final harvest of the tubers, must take place in the geographical area of production.

Preparation and packaging must take place in the Province of Bologna. Correct packaging is essential to preserving the excellent organoleptic and commercial qualities of the ‘Patata di Bologna’ PDO. Local operators have acquired a wealth of knowledge regarding the correct handling and transport of the product, management immediately following harvest and cold storage to reduce moisture loss. This knowledge and the related on-site practices allow the qualities of the ‘Patata di Bologna’ PDO to be preserved while respecting its natural physiological processes.

When marketed for consumption, the ‘Patata di Bologna’ must be packed in:

bags of 4 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg and 25 kg with a central printed band of at least 10 cm in width; nets of 0,5 kg, 1 kg, 1,5 kg, 2 kg and 2,5 kg; vertbags, quickbags, girsacs and bags of 0,5 kg, 1 kg, 1,5 kg, 2 kg, 2,5 kg and 5 kg; trays of 0,5 kg, 0,75 kg and 1 kg; boxes and baskets of 10 kg, 12,5 kg, 15 kg, 20 kg and 25 kg.

Packaging must bear the words: ‘Patata di Bologna’ followed by ‘D.O.P.’ and the logo comprising a stylised image of a potato crossed by two diagonal red and blue bands. The specifications for the colours are as follows:

the yellow of the stylised potato is Pantone Yellow 116 C, quadricolour 0/20/100/0; the red of the first diagonal band is Pantone Warm Red C, quadricolour 0/100/100/0; the blue of the second diagonal band is Pantone Blue 286 C, quadricolour 100/70/0/0.

Any text must be in Avenir typeface, normal and bold.

The mark on packaging must not be less than 20 mm along its base and the ‘Patata di Bologna D.O.P.’ text must be in characters larger than any other text on the label.

The Bologna plain enjoys moderate spring temperatures from the end of February/beginning of March which are ideal to ensure that the seed potatoes sown during that period sprout properly. During the period of maximum plant growth (April to June), temperatures reach 25 °C to 28 °C, promoting the development and growth of the tubers and steady ripening. Rainfall, which is spread throughout the year, favours cultivation during the period of initial plant growth when tubers first begin to form. It also guarantees the replenishment of groundwater aquifers and allows preparation of the soils before the potatoes are sown.

Further, thanks to its natural streams and rivers (the Idice, Reno, Gaiana, Fossatone, Quaderna, Rido, Sillaro, Samoggia and Savena) as well as canals constructed for irrigation purposes (the Emiliano-Romagnolo Canal), the region enjoys good water supply for cultivation in spring and summer, the period in which the need is greatest.

The morphological characteristics of the soils, predominantly alluvial and stratified and therefore rich in oxygen, create very favourable conditions for the development of the potato.

The 'Patata di Bologna' is obtained exclusively from the Primura variety. Well adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the production area, this variety has become the symbol of the 'Patata di Bologna'. As regards organoleptic qualities, the pulp of the 'Patata di Bologna' keeps particularly well and tends to be non-floury, making it suitable for many types of food preparation such as frying, steaming and baking. Its typical but not over-pronounced flavour and its good keeping qualities are a result of cultivation in suitable soils and the use of farming methods with a long tradition, thanks to which it has established itself as a reference product on the market.

The characteristics of the ‘Patata di Bologna’ PDO, such as its smell, flavour and the intense colour of the potato itself and of its skin, are the result not only of genetics but also of the environment in which it is grown (soil, climate, cultivation techniques, storage conditions), hence the clear link of the ‘Patata di Bologna’ to the Province of Bologna. Potato-growing in the Province of Bologna has a long tradition, thanks to the area's particularly suitable soils, the excellent quality and organoleptic characteristics of certain varieties and the traditional cultivation techniques used by growers. The potato-growing tradition in the Province arose from the need to feed the population, particularly when wheat harvests were poor (wheat invariably being seen as a staple food) and from the conviction that potato-growing would be of benefit to the Province in the sense that it would no longer have to rely on food purchased from elsewhere. The link was gradually strengthened through the hard work of the growers, who developed step by step almost perfect cultivation methods, increasingly efficient equipment adapted to the product, cutting-edge techniques for storing the product and marketing structures able to exploit fully the product’s commercial and quality characteristics, thanks in particular to the high level of specialisation in the area.

Thanks to the special environment, a result of the interaction between the soil (pedology and hydrography) and the climate (rainy during the autumn-winter period, with moderate spring temperatures from as early as the end of February and optimal temperatures, i.e. around 25 °C, during the formation of the tubers), the potato grown here develops physical characteristics (texture, grain size) as well as organoleptic characteristics (particular smell and flavour) giving it a particular quality.

As described in a work by Contri (1817), the soils of the Province of Bologna are suitable for potato-growing because potatoes thrive in ‘low land, already drained and raised by alluvial deposits’, characteristic of the Province's reclaimed land. Changes to the land over time have produced lowland areas of alluvial deposits from rivers and streams originating in the Apennines and still flowing today. These soils have a medium to fine texture, a good depth and are well drained. They are alkaline, contain organic material and are rich in the nutritional elements essential to potatoes, such as potassium which is present in large quantities, phosphorus and nitrogen. Such conditions are ideal for growing potatoes, not least by virtue of their bunched roots, lack of a taproot and their dense system of root hairs.