34 million pizza combinations

America’s pizza delivery companies want a reasonable 21st century solution to the nutrition labeling challenge: We simply want approval to put the information where our customers look for it.

At Domino’s, we’ve been posting nutritional information on our website for nearly 14 years because it’s the easiest way to provide the information to our customers where they will most likely see it.

Unfortunately, the menu labeling rule as written does not make accommodations for brands whose majority of orders come from people who order online. The rule seems better suited to sit-down chains and fast-food joints.

About 90% of our customers (and those of Papa John’s, Hungry Howie’s and others) order online or by phone — and not across the counter with customers looking at giant menu boards. In 2010, when this saga began, Domino’s online orders were about 30%; today, they’re 60% and rising (with an additional 30% coming via the telephone).

Today, you can see the caloric information for each item on your individual order listed by slice or serving size on our website or mobile app. This customized, individualized approach is far more helpful than broad caloric ranges we’d have to publish to cover the 34 million possible combinations of pizza in our restaurants.

So, why is it such an offense to suggest that we be able to comply with nutrition labeling regulations by posting pizza calories online?

We appreciate the Food and Drug Administration’s recent decision to reconsider the menu labeling rule, which has created far more questions than answers.

And we appreciate the FDA not forcing a one-size-fits-all rule that won’t do anything but create expensive burdens for thousands of small business owners just trying to sell pizza and other foods.

Most of all, we hope the critics wake up to an exciting new form of communication and information access: It’s called the Internet.