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ROME (Reuters) - An Italian restaurant that sold a pizza with a human tooth baked into the crust has been fined nearly $4,000 for a lack of hygiene.



"It's insanity," cried defence lawyer Massimiliano Manzo, who represented the Florence pizzeria.


"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 by telephone.


The unidentified client discovered the tooth while chewing a mouthful of pizza in December 2000. He paid the bill, but refused a complimentary supper to patch things over and instead took legal action.


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


The lawyer said he would appeal.