WASHINGTON - With millions of customization options for their signature products that pose signage nightmare scenarios under a proposed menu-labeling plan, pizza chains united yesterday on Capitol Hill to address lawmakers, The Washington Post reports.

Representatives from Domino??s, Papa John??s, Little Caesar??s, Godfather??s Pizza and Pizza argued that the federal government??s plan to require owners to pay for in-store menu boards that post calorie counts of their menu items will make it impossible to include all of their potential offerings on the boards. Additionally, the group said the law would fail to achieve its key objective ?" educating consumers and help them make informed choices ?" because 90% of their orders are placed online and over the phone.

"A light bulb goes on when people hear about all the possible combinations for pizza," said Lynn Liddle, a Domino??s executive. "They start to realize how difficult it would be to take a one-size-fits-all approach."

Pizza chains said the FDA menu-labeling bill as written is unfair on a number of counts. First, it would require a menu board to display the calorie count for an entire pizza, though the average customer consumes 2.1 slices. Second, while the proposal allows for posting a calorie range for customizable foods, the ranges are so wide that they??re useless.

Mary Lyne Carraway, owner of nearly five dozen Domino??s stores in the Washington area, said the proposal would require new menu boards at each of her locations, signage that would cost up to $5,000 each ?" and that would require a replacement nearly annually.

Under the plan, pizza chains would not need to list calories for every possible pizza combination, just the items they choose to present on their menu boards.