Recently, rumours cropped up on how everyone’s favourite chocolate-hazelnut concoction, Nutella, may contain swirls of a cancer-causing ingredient.
The additive in question? Palm oil – the super agent in giving Nutella its ultra luscious and creamy texture. Though a report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that when processed and heated at temperatures of about 200 degrees Celsius, which is done to eliminate the oil’s color and smell, palm oil can develop a “potentially carcinogenic contaminant,” Reuters reports.
Today also notes that at this point, there’s no way to tell how much of the contaminant is formed during processing and how much is safe to eat. But EFSA did not say that consumers should stop eating palm oil, and said more research is needed. Meanwhile, Ferrero, the maker of Nutella, said that their palm oil is refined at temperatures below 200 degrees Celsius, Reuters reported.
However, it is important noting that the study, released by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) last May, does not say that Nutella can cause cancer. It just says that palm oil, an ingredient in Nutella, releases potentially carcinogenic chemicals when refined at high temperatures. So you can heave a sigh of relief now and spread that magic on some carbs.
The report actually came out back in May, but Nutella is making headlines now as Italy’s largest supermarket chain Coop has announced that they are boycotting the use of palm oil in all of their products. Italian baking company Barilla has also cut out palm oil and began labelling products as “palm oil-free,” Reuters notes.
Ferrero has fought back against the palm oil backlash with an ad campaign to assure Nutella-lovers (us) everywhere that the product is safe. “The palm oil used by Ferrero is safe because it comes from freshly squeezed fruits and is processed at controlled temperatures,” Ferrero purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella says in a TV commercial.
BRB, getting Nutella wasted.
