Pizzas
Motor City Pizza Co. Double Pepperoni Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza
1617 g
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- High in saturated fat
- Contains nitrites or nitrates
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 16
Motor City Pizza Co. Double Pepperoni Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza scores 16 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Sausage and cured meats: IARC classifies processed meat (cured, salted, smoked or fermented) as Group 1, based on colorectal cancer; each 50 g eaten daily is linked to an 18% higher risk. Regulatory
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better pizza
-
Against the grain pepperoni pizza Against the Grain Gourmet Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 63 out of 100 , 47 points higher -
Deep dish cheese pizza Gino's East Of Chicago · 32 oz Less salt · Less saturated fat Score 52 out of 100 , 36 points higher -
ROASTED GARLIC & PESTO PIZZA with Deep Fried Crust Trader Joe's · 14.1 oz (400 g) No nitrites or nitrates · No added sugars Score 54 out of 100 , 38 points higher -
Pepperoni pizza - President's Choice President's Choice Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 60 out of 100 , 44 points higher -
Thin & Crispy Crust Four Cheese Newman's Own · 453 g Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 56 out of 100 , 40 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Double Pepperoni Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Sausage and cured meats minus 20 points
- Dextrose minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 7.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Saturated fat 5.9 g / 100 g minus 5 points
- Salt 1.5 g / 100 g minus 5 points
- Energy 281 kcal / 100 g minus 1 points
- Protein 12.6 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 84.5 = 15.5 → 16
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][9][10][11][12]
Can’t score above 79. High in saturated fat and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [13]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 281 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 14.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 5.9 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25.2 g |
| Sugars | 2.2 g |
| Added sugars | 0.7 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g |
| Protein | 12.6 g |
| Salt | 1.5 g |
Serving: 0.167 pizza (135 g)
Ingredients
- ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, ENZYME, FOLIC ACID)
- WATER
- SOYBEAN OIL
- PRE-MIX BLEND (GLUCONO DELTA-LACTONE, SALT, SODIUM BICARBONATE, DOUGH CONDITIONER BLEND, CELLULOSE GUM, SODIUM PROPIONATE (PRESERVATIVE), SUGAR, YEAST, FLAVORED OIL BLEND (OIL BLEND [PALM OIL, CORN OIL, NATURAL FLAVORS, BETA-CAROTENE (COLOR)]), CHEESE BLEND, SAUCE, PEPPERONI) (not recognized)
Label text, as published
ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, ENZYME, FOLIC ACID), WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, PRE-MIX BLEND (GLUCONO DELTA-LACTONE, SALT, SODIUM BICARBONATE, DOUGH CONDITIONER BLEND [ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), YEAST, VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, L-CYSTEINE HYDROCHLORIDE, SOYBEAN OIL, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), ENZYMES], CELLULOSE GUM, SODIUM PROPIONATE (PRESERVATIVE), SUGAR, YEAST, FLAVORED OIL BLEND (OIL BLEND [PALM OIL, CORN OIL, NATURAL FLAVORS, BETA-CAROTENE (COLOR)]), CHEESE BLEND (SHREDDED LOW MOISTURE PART-SKIM MOZZARELLA CHEESE [CULTURED PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, SALT, ENZYMES], POWDERED CELLULOSE [ANTI-CAKING AGENT), DEHYDRATED SEASONING BLEND (OREGANO, BASIL, RED BELL PEPPER, PARSLEY)), SAUCE (WATER, TOMATOES, SEASONING BLEND [SALT, SUGAR, SPICES, DEHYDRATED GARLIC, DEHYDRATED ONION]), PEPPERONI (PORK, BEEF, SALT, SPICES, DEXTROSE, LACTIC ACID STARTER CULTURE, NATURAL FLAVOR, PAPRIKA OLEORESIN, SODIUM ASCORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, CITRIC ACID)
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Not vegetarian
- Not gluten-free
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Sources
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Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
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Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
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Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
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IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat (Press Release No. 240)
“Processed meat was classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer.”
iarc.who.int
-
Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline
“WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”
who.int
-
“For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”
who.int
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Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)
monographs.iarc.who.int
-
“the presence of nitrites and nitrates in foods can give rise to the formation of nitrosamines some of which are carcinogenic.”
eur-lex.europa.eu
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EFSA confirms safe levels for nitrites and nitrates added to food
“They concluded that when nitrites are used at approved levels, their contribution to overall exposure to nitrosamines is of low concern for health.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
Nitrosamines in food raise a health concern
“Nitrosamines in food raise a health concern”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”
doi.org
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Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome
“carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”
doi.org
-
“Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”
doi.org
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“This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”
doi.org
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“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”
doi.org
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“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org