vegan nutella hazelnut spread arrives in france, priced more, but will it be better for the environment?
2024-09-10
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vegans can now enjoy nutella, as italian food group ferrero has announced the launch of plant based nutella, a vegan version of its famous hazelnut spread.
image source: internet
to commemorate the 60th anniversary of nutella, this vegan version of hazelnut spread was officially launched on september 4 and sold in italy, france and belgium.
ferrero pointed out that the launch of the vegetarian version is to attract new consumers who "choose to reduce or avoid the consumption of animal-derived products for dietary or lifestyle reasons". the product took five years to develop. from the appearance, the lid of the vegetarian version is green. from the ingredients point of view, the skimmed milk powder in the original formula is gone, replaced by "plant ingredients such as chickpea and rice syrup".
thomas chatenier, global president of nutella, assured that despite the recipe changes, the vegan version has the same unique taste, creamy texture and premium quality as the nutella everyone knows and loves, and will also be produced in the historic sant'angelo dei lombardi factory in italy.
although it does not contain animal protein, the media pointed out that this vegetarian nutella is neither more environmentally friendly nor healthier. italian media "food fat" (il fatto alimentare) stated that although skimmed milk powder (accounting for 8.7% of the total ingredients) has been replaced. sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts (13%), low-fat cocoa (7.4%) and emulsifiers remain in the formula. many studies have pointed out the disastrous consequences of palm oil production on the environment. according to the french ministry of ecological transition, palm oil caused 2.3% of global deforestation between 1990 and 2008. if consumed in excess, it may also increase "bad" cholesterol levels due to its high saturated fatty acid content.
additionally, the vegan version of nutella is "not suitable for people with a milk protein allergy" because it is produced in a factory that processes cow's milk.
another change is the price. traditional nutella costs 6.32 euros in auchan supermarkets in france, 6.59 euros in carrefour, and 8.28 euros in super u. according to ferrero's suggestion, the retail price of vegan nutella is 11.43 euros per kilogram, which is more expensive than before. "the ingredients used are different from the classic recipe, and the price depends on the production cost and product ingredients." insiders said.
according to forecasts, the market sales of vegetarian and vegan foods will reach 453 million euros by 2025. in 2023, 5% of the french population will be vegetarian.
special contributor qiu li
