The dough is thick and juicy – and a science in itself. The topping of fruity tomato sugo, creamy mozzarella and spicy basil belongs to a pizza that is recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage: the pizza napoletana, i.e. the Neapolitan pizza. For many gourmets it is the only real thing and ready-made pizza dough is a thorn in their side. Because it is the dough that makes this supposedly simple dish a full taste experience. There is still a large selection of ready-made pizza dough in the frozen shelves of supermarkets.
“Ökotest” tested 19 different ready-made pizza doughs to evaluate the quality of these popular ready-made kitchen products. The test winner was the “Cucina Nobile” pizza dough from Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd (76 cents per 200 g), which stood out for its excellent quality. Other well-known brands such as Henglein (91 cents) and Knack
The analysis, carried out in independent laboratories, revealed questionable ingredients in four pizza doughs, including pesticide residues and controversial phosphate additives. Even an organic product failed this test. The researchers also found that two organic products had an increased total bacterial count that was still below the warning value, but above the recommended guideline value. The finding of enterobacteria and disease-causing E. coli bacteria (STEC) in some products was also worrying.
“Ökotest” therefore recommends always baking finished pizza dough thoroughly and not eating it raw, as this kills unwanted germs. In addition, almost all pizza doughs tested contain alcohol for preservation, which is another reason to always cook them completely.
You can read the entire test here for a fee!
