Nutella's secret recipe change disappoints fans

The company defended its decision saying other companies frequently make modifications to their products

The globally loved chocolate and hazelnut spread Nutella recipe has been altered, and fans are furious about it.

Nutella lovers are expressing anger after discovering the recipe has been secretly changed, with more sugar and fat – but fewer hazelnuts. The change was first identified by a German consumer group Hamburg Consumer Protection Centre, on its Facebook page which revealed the recipe now contains 8.7 per cent powdered skimmed milk, up from 7.5 per cent before, while the sugar content has been increased from 55.9 per cent to 56.3 per cent.

Ferrero, Nutella’s Italian manufacturer, confirmed an 'adjustment' had been made, however insisted, there was no compromise on the taste and quality of the product, and that the nutritional value remains the same, The Guardian reported.



Social media was packed with reactions and opinions by furious Nutella fans, who vented on Twitter criticising the change, using the hashtag #boycottNutella.

“If the rumours of #Nutella changing their recipe are true, I am boycotting them,” a Twitter user wrote.

If the rumors of #Nutella changing their recipe are true, I am boycotting them. pic.twitter.com/583I7virnR

— 🍂🍁 HibernaᎶᎥᎪᏁ 🍁🍂 (@Talchy) November 6, 2017

#Nutella #NutellaGate Please don' t change the recipe of Nutella! https://t.co/YdCapLbblj

— A conservative rose (@CommonSense90s) November 7, 2017

If this doesn’t scare you out of eating the ‘flavoursome’ indulgence, maybe just cut back on the portion size a little.



The nutritional content of Nutella has not been without controversy. Earlier this year fans were shocked by a deconstructed photo of its raw ingredients, shown in layers of a jar, revealing high sugar content.

“We are shocked to see Nutella has ramped up the amount of sugar in its already sweet product,” said Kawther Hashem, nutritionist at Action on Sugar.

“Based on their original formulation which has less sugar than the new formula, just two slices of bread with Nutella (24g sugar) contains the entire maximum daily intake of 7 to 10-year-olds.

“Eaten over the duration of a week that’s 168g of sugar – the equivalent amount found in two and a half boxes of Maltesers (120g box). Nutella is high in sugar and should not be eaten every day.”



Nutella also contains palm oil, which causes concern because of possible links to cancer. “Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward,” Ferrero’s purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella told Reuters. “The palm oil used by Ferrero is safe because it comes from freshly squeezed fruits and is processed at controlled temperatures,” he further added.

The company came top of a WWF sustainability league table of 137 palm oil buyers last year. The company has not yet said why they decided to alter the beloved recipe.