The mouth-watering combination of carbohydrates and fats, the texture, colours and never-ending possibilities for topping combinations make the dish so appealing.

The meal “seems to be especially rewarding and do not occur together in foods found in nature…and this may contribute to its association with addictive-like eating behaviours”, said Research Professor Erica M. Schulte in regard to the report.

“There is likely something inherently more rewarding in the combinations of those ingredients that can trigger an addictive process in some individuals.”

“If you were really starving, pizza is a type of food that would be totally satiating. The fat gives you satiety, the sugar in the bread and the sauce is satisfying, and the salt is going to keep you alive,” said Gail Vance Civille, founder and president of Sensory Spectrum.

“It delivers on the food matrix that people tend to crave and want, and feeds the brain, which says ‘this is just wonderful,” Civille added.

“You have the crispiness of the crust, the chewiness of the cheese and the moistness of the sauce…and if made properly, one doesn’t overpower the other. Everything disappears in the mouth at the same time…and comes together in a unified way.”