Believe it or not, there is actually a federal standard that defines a pizza — and, ironically, the main effect of the standard has been to prevent pizza makers from lowering fat content and making other changes to pizzas that consumers might like.
The rules apply to apply to frozen pizzas that are labeled as meat or sausage pizzas, and dictate that such a pizza must have a crust, cheese, and tomato-based sauce and at least 10 to 12 percent of meat by weight. So, under USDA regulations it is illegal to sell a frozen pepperoni pizza that is only, say, 5 percent pepperoni by weight, even if consumers might prefer the pepperoni taste without all the calories and fat of a pizza that comes with a 10 percent weight standard.
Similarly, pizza makers can’t call it a pepperoni pizza if the product uses a non-tomato based sauce.
As Tony Mantuano, a consultant to Schwan’s Sales Enterprises which makes Freschetta pizza notes, the rules are long out of date. “One of our most popular pizzas is a pizza that has duck sausage and goat cheese. There’s no tomato sauce. There’s no mozzarella.”
The USDA will accept comments on its proposal to eliminate the regulation of meat pizzas through Jan. 2, 2002.
Source:
Government defines what a pizza is. Philip Brasher, Associated Press, November 7, 2001.