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Pizza Coalition Protests Menu Labeling Proposal

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SIEGEL: Well, actually, in Washington...

BLOCK: Where franchisee meets lawmaker...

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SIEGEL: Yes, that's right. Some of the nation's largest pizza chains are lobbying on Capitol Hill to deliver a piping hot message.

BLOCK: The coalition of the American Pizza Community is asking Congress to rethink a proposed menu labeling plan. It would require chain restaurants across the country to post the number of calories in their foods.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THAT'S AMORE")

DEAN MARTIN: (Singing) When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore.

SIEGEL: Well, amore does not describe the group's views of this matter. Pizza chain companies say it would force franchise owners to pay for in-store menu boards when most pizza eaters don't come into the restaurants.

TIM MCINTYRE: Ninety percent of orders for pizza come either online or over the phone.

BLOCK: That's Tim McIntyre. He's vice president of communications at Domino's Pizza. The proposal would also call for the in-store menu to list the calories of an entire pizza, not just a slice, which according to Domino's, is 230 calories.

MCINTYRE: Our research indicates that the average pizza consumer eats 2.1 slices of pizza because pizza is a shared occasion.

SIEGEL: But if you're not in a sharing mood, a whole pie will set you back about 1,800 calories, no matter how you slice it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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