A blind taste test of supermarket margherita pizzas has revealed that while some still resemble the ultra-processed offerings of the 1980s, others come close to restaurant quality. The test focused on lower- to mid-range options, excluding premium pizzas with added ingredients like sun-blushed tomatoes. Each pizza was cooked according to the manufacturer's instructions and tasted by a family.
The best pizza was an Italian-style margherita with a puffed crust, balanced tomato sauce, and generous cheese. Made with 100% Emilia Romagna tomato pulp, it was hand-stretched and stone-baked in Italy. The tester noted its texture was very close to fresh pizza, though information on the brand's sustainability practices was lacking.
A Neapolitan-style pizza with mozzarella balls and fresh basil was praised for its gooey topping and wonderful basil, but the dough texture was slightly disappointing. Another sourdough-based pizza with PDO parmesan was in the top three, though it could have benefited from more cheese.
The tester's daughter favoured a pizza with a thin, crunchy crust and generous tomato sauce, which was one of the saltiest and fattiest options. A classic 1990s brand with a thick, bready base and a mix of cheeses was noted for its stringy cheese and light crunch, but the base was described as tasteless.
The worst examples were described as bland and joyless, relying on salt, sugar, and fat. However, the tester noted that even basic oven pizzas can be improved with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, dried herbs, or fresh toppings. Despite their processed appearance, most supermarket margheritas contain relatively few ultra-processed ingredients, though they still fall under the ultra-processed category according to the Nova classification.
