Frozen pizzas 'are healthier' option

A consumer watchdog has called for clearer front-of-pack labelling on takeaway pizzas after a study revealed that frozen supermarket varieties were among the healthiest.

Which? found consumers could be better off eating deep-pan, stuffed-crust or frozen pizzas rather than choosing the so-called "healthier" thin-based or fresh options.

Experts for the consumer group analysed 162 cheese-and-tomato and pepperoni pizzas available in the major supermarkets and takeaway chains, finding that frozen pizzas tended to be healthier than fresh versions.

They found thin pizzas could be higher in fat and saturates than deep-pan and stuffed-crust pizzas, with Tesco's Italian Romana margherita with an "ultra-thin" base containing twice as much fat and saturates per 100g as its Trattoria Verdi deep-pan cheese pizza.

Which? also found an "enormous and often unrealistic" range of portion sizes and different front-of-pack labelling schemes.

Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive of Which?, said: "We want clear, front-of-pack labelling, including traffic-light colours, and consistent portion sizes so people can easily compare like with like."