Is Pepperoni the best pizza topping?

Controversial? Yes, and the most hotly contested motion at Debate Club this term.

The affirmative team, arguing that yes pepperoni is the best pizza topping made some strong points while on the other side of the debate table, the negative team ridiculed the idea that pepperoni is the best pizza topping, making some equally strong points against the motion. Have a read of the arguments and let us know what you think.

It is actually a fully evidenced fact that peperoni pizza is the most popular topping. Some research study in the US found that out of 12 possible options, 36% or over one third of respondents chose pepperoni. Pepperoni beat the next three most preferred toppings combined; sausage (14%), mushroom (11%) and other (10%).

But is there really only one best topping? After all variety is the spice of life. Why restrict ourselves to one when there are so many different choices. Apart from personal preference for spicy, or plain, or cheese-y, or even, dare we say, fruity in the form of a pineapple-laden Hawaiian, time and place could be important factors to consider too. Pepperoni might be the preferred choice to enjoy with friends, but Margherita with family, or a four-cheese topping in the winter whereas a healthier mushroom and bell peppers topping might be just the treat for a hot summer day.

Pepperoni is also unhealthy, it is full of sodium, sugar, preservatives, saturated fat, and calories. This shows that pepperoni is clearly unhealthy for you and can cause some serious damage in the long run. Would you really risk your life for a pepperoni pizza? Most sane people probably wouldn't. There are many healthier alternatives to pepperoni. These include bell peppers, pineapple, sweetcorn, and chicken.

Is Peperoni pizza actually that unhealthy? A slice of medium pepperoni pizza only contains 25 calories more than a slice of cheese pizza which is equivalent to 1 medium tomato, and no one ever thought eating a tomato was bad. Although pepperoni has 3g more fat than cheese pizza some pepperonis can be lower in fat and pepperoni can actually help your body to absorb protein. This is because pepperoni pizza contains a mineral called manganese which can help to digest protein.

The inclusion of pepperoni on a pizza excludes massive sectors of our multicultural society. Pepperoni is made of pork, and many people cannot or do not eat pork. 39% of the world's population doesn't eat pork due to religious custom (Judi Goldstein). Pork is forbidden for Muslims is because it says in the Holy Quran that some food is allowed, while others are explicitly declared haram, which means forbidden. However, there is an exception that is written in the Holy Quran as well where it states that you can eat it if you are starving and there is nothing else to eat but pork - however obviously no one would be starving if they could order a Dominos! Jewish people, a huge and often marginalised section of society, do not eat pork because pigs are described in the Bible (Lev. 11:7-8) as prohibited because they have a cloven hoof but don't chew their cud. The ban on the consumption of pork is repeated in Deuteronomy 14:8. Furthermore, Seventh-day Adventists consider pork taboo, the Eritrean Orthodox Church, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church do not permit pork consumption, and the Hebrew Roots Movement adherents also do not consume pork while many Yazidis in Iraq regard pork as forbidden

Moreover, some people have an allergy to pork. A pork allergy is an adverse immune response after consuming pork and its by-products. It is also called pork-cat syndrome because most pork allergies are related to cat allergies. People develop this pork allergy sensitivity due to an allergic response to the cat serum albumin that cross-reacts with albumin in pork. This terrible affliction can result in a pork allergy rash, and inflammation of the skin, gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps, wheezing and difficulty breathing, and in rare cases, anaphylaxis. (www.nyallergy.com/pork-allergy)

However, in the modern world there is always a non-meat alternative to a meat product. Quorn pepperoni can be purchased widely in supermarkets to add your own delicious pepperoni flavour to a plain pizza. Alternatively, Domino’s has launched its new fully vegan PepperoNAY pizza. This can be eaten by vegetarians, vegans, and those from religions which ban the consumption of pork. Domino's meat free pepperoni pizza is topped with a specially created pepperoni from The Vegetarian Butcher. Domino's describe it as 'a treat for vegans and flexitarians alike' because it’s topped with vineripened tomato sauce and generously sprinkled with Domino’s melty vegan cheese. In fact, Domino’s vegan pepperoni is ‘so realistic even meat-eaters will enjoy this tempting new plantbased pizza!' so we can now all enjoy our favourite pepperoni pizza topping together.

So, the debate rages on. Take part in our survey to share your views and see the results in the next edition of the Inkwell.