Hurrah for the humble Neapolitan pizza! Italys most famous and ubiquitous gastronomic delight has now received official EU recognition as a Guaranteed Traditional Speciality. This means that foreign horrors such as pizza with pineapple and ham and pizza with chips and bacon can no longer be labeled under the heading of Neapolitan pizza. Strict rules have been laid down as to the ingredients, the consistency, the shape (round) and the type of dough base in order to define the real thing and defend it from hundreds of ill-conceived imitations world-wide.

The news was received with acclamation by the 25,000 Italian pizzerias belonging to the FIPI (the Federation of Restauranteurs).