Pizzeria fined over tooth topping

Some toppings go down better than others

When an Italian pizza fan found a human tooth in his crust, it was not the type of filling he had been expecting.

For the restaurant in a village near Florence, it proved to be their most expensive topping ever.

Refusing the risk of a complimentary supper, the offended customer sued and the restaurant was fined 3,000 euros (£2,100) for lack of hygiene.

"It's insanity," protested Massimiliano Manzo, the restaurant's lawyer, who said he intended to appeal.

"How is the owner of the pizzeria going to force employees to go to the dentist every day or strap a lid over their mouths?" he told Reuters news agency.

In court, Mr Manzo argued that under Italian hygiene regulations for restaurants and pizzerias, cooks and "pizzaioli" have to wear hats or nets to cover their hair, but not surgical masks.

The unidentified customer paid the bill, but refused a free meal to patch things over and instead took legal action.

The owner of the tooth was never identified and Mr Manzo refused to discuss how it got into the pizza in the first place.