SCANDAL OF 'FRESH' PIZZA THAT'S NINE DAYS OLD AND FROZEN

Pizzas sold in supermarket chill cabinets as "fresh" can be up to NINE days old.

Many are made with FROZEN dough - and topped with ingredients which have been previously frozen.

They are simply "frozen pizzas in disguise", according to a shock new report.

The pizza industry is big business - worth around pounds 570 million a year.

The report found several supermarket chains using frozen dough for their "fresh" pizzas.

They include:

SAFEWAY - Their pizzas sold over the deli counter are imported frozen from Ireland. They are defrosted, sauced and sprinkled with cheese in stores ready for customers to choose their own topping. Meat, chicken or pepperoni would have been frozen, too.

ASDA - Their "authentic fresh" range are made with frozen dough.

The report, for Iceland stores, found that choosing fresh rather frozen pizzas in the same supermarket costs the customer an average 43 per cent more.

The biggest difference was at Sainsbury's, where their fresh deep pan Pizzeria Profunda cost 59 per cent more than their frozen version - the American-Style Mighty Cheese Pizza.

One anonymous industry executive who manages pizza distribution for a large manufacturing company admitted in the report that "a typically fresh-chilled pizza in some stores can be up to 10 days old". He added: "Not all factories send their product out every day. In some cases it may be allowed to stack up, especially at weekends."

Add to that distribution time and shelf life, and a pizza could easily be TEN days old when bought.

The report reveals that "fresh" pizzas are often "defrosted pizzas in disguise".

Frozen dough imported from abroad, often from Italy, is thawed before sale, as is some UK-made dough used for some top-your-own pizzas.

And toppings like meat and chicken have often been frozen then defrosted.

"But it's rarely made clear to the consumer, who has to pay a huge price premium for the privilege of buying what is basically a defrosted pizza," says the report.

Perhaps not surprisingly the report also found that frozen pizzas can actually taste better than fresh ones.

But then it was commissioned by Iceland - the country's biggest frozen food chain.

ASDA

Asda deli counter make-your-own pizzas have a maximum life of four days, including two days for the customer to eat it. Their pre-boxed pizzas have a five-day maximum life, including two days for eating.

"There is no deterioration in taste or quality and in our experience customers don't want or need to know that the dough has been frozen," spokeswoman Charlie Hobson said.

"We have no plans to change our labelling. As far as we are concerned our authentic Italian pizzas are fresh.

"The Asda deli counter make your own pizzas are made with fresh bases and toppings."

TESCO

Tesco pizzas have five days from factory to sell-by date and a further day for the customer to eat them - six days in all.

"We're not trying to hide anything. If a main ingredient is previously frozen then it should be labelled as such," spokesman David Sawday said.

"There is no taste advantage in using fresh or frozen sweetcorn, or fresh or tinned pineapple, it's just more convenient - which is why we do it.

"Our pineapple is tinned and our sweetcorn is defrosted, but we don't feel we need to tell customers because sweetcorn is totally different from defrosted meat or fish toppings."

SAINSBURY

Sainsbury's pizzas have up to seven days from factory to the end of their use-by-date.

"Ten of our 44 pizzas have frozen toppings for logistical reasons, like variations in the pepper seasons, and pepperoni imported from Denmark," spokeswoman Scarlett Ewens said.

"But there is no need for us to label that the food was previously frozen as it is not a health risk.

"We describe our chilled pizzas as fresh because the majority of it is made from fresh ingredients - the only reason for freezing being to improve the authenticity of the product."

SOMERFIELD

Somerfield chilled cabinet pizzas have a life of eight days from production to use-by date.

"We have no legal requirement to change our labelling so we aren't going to, and our pizzas don't actually state that they are fresh - we call them chilled," spokeswoman Carol Baker said.

"We freeze the toppings due to seasonal availability with vegetables like broccoli, but none of our meat toppings are frozen.

"All our other pizzas are made with fresh dough, not dough that has been frozen and then defrosted."

SAFEWAY

Safeway pizzas have between six and nine days from production date to their use-by date.

"We are not trying to mislead customers, but logistically some parts of our Pizzeria pizzas are previously frozen," a spokesman said.

"We are trying to give customers a choice, and if this becomes a concern we could put details at the deli or in leaflets.

"We do state 'Do not freeze' clearly on the side of the box.

"The chilled pizza market has grown phenomenally and we are able to offer a huge choice, not just frozen - like they sell at Iceland."

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