I think every kid eventually get sick and tired of the same old PB toast at some point in their life. I know I was. That’s why I was completely sold when I first laid eyes on the Nutella commercial. And I wasn’t the only one: all of my friends jumped on the Nutella wagon as well. It was the PB of my generation.
I should have known the real reason as to why I got hooked on this breakfast delight (and still am to this day).
The Nutella commercial radiates a healthy aura: roasted hazelnut (hmm), skim milk, and cocoa. Doesn’t it sound like a nutritious spread to slap on your toast?
Wrong.
It’s scary how the food industry can easily play with the consumers’ mind.
What are the ingredients?
Nutella contains the following ingredients (as listed on their website in descending order): sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts (13%), fat-reduced cocoa (7.4%), skimmed milk powder (6.6%), whey powder (milk), emulsifier: lecithin (soya), Vanillin.
Can you spot the problem?
Sugar is at the top of the list, followed by palm oil. Hazelnuts and cocoa only account for 20% of the spread. In other words, Nutella is virtually just sugar and oil, with a hint of hazelnuts and cocoa.
I’m going to skip the debate on sugar since you’ve probably heard enough of my rampage. However, I am going to point out that two tablespoons of Nutella contains 21 grams of sugar. For comparison, Kraft All Natural Peanut Butter only houses two grams of sugar.
Now, let’s take a closer look at palm oil.
Palm Oil
For the food industry, palm oil has the benefits of being more resistant from going rancid compared to oils with high amounts of unsaturated fats, emits no odor, doesn’t taste like much, and is solid at room temperature like coconut oil. For consumers, it’s good to know that palm oil is free of trans fat (*sarcastic tone*).
Sounds like a win-win situation, right?
A closer look at the nutritional profile reveals that fat from palm oil is made out of 50% saturated fats. Worst yet, palmitic acid is touted to be one of the most problematic types of saturated fats to your heart.
The Debate
Ferrero, the confectionery company behind Nutella, is fighting against the FDA to have Nutella switching food categories. Currently categorized as dessert toppings, Ferrero is striving to have Nutella placed in the same family as jams, molasses, and peanut butter. You see, depending on which category it falls into, the serving size indicated on the nutrition label varies. Considering it like PB would cut down the serving from two tablespoons to one tablespoon, consequently resulting in slashing down half the amount of calorie and sugar listed in the U.S nutrition facts table. Just another sneaky way to fool the consumers into thinking that it is a healthy choice.
Until January 3rd, the FDA is inviting consumers to share their typical serving consumption size of “nut cocoa-based spreads.” Please do so by clicking here.
Additional Reference:
Product Information. Nutella. URL Link. Accessed November 11, 2016.
