European Researchers Claim Eating Nutella Can Cause Cancer

There are many foods that are banned in foreign countries, but not banned here in America. It makes some wonder, as one of the most industrialized countries in the world, the United States is often at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to health concerns such as cancer, birth rates, and obesity.

In a recent report, The European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) has made claims that eathing Nutella could cause cancer. The report warns that, “contaminants in palm oil raise potential health concerns across the board.” The concerns are stem from a fatty acid called glycidyl fatty acid esters ( GE ) that form when food is processed at temperatures higher than 393 degrees Fahrenheit. EFSA says there is enough evidence to say that GE poses cancer risks. According to Helle Knutsen, Chair of EFSA’s expert Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain, she stated:

“There is sufficient evidence that glycidol is genotoxic and carcinogenic. Therefore the CONTAM Panel did not set a safe level for GE.”

Retailers overseas have taken this report seriously and have removed this oil from their products. However, Nutella is fighting back, stating their product is safe to eat. Ferrero, the company that owns the Nutella brand, had this to say:

“Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward.”

However, upon further research, its not certain if we can agree with that statement from Ferrro’s purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella. If you were to do a quick search, there are many articles that list the original ingredients that were used to make Nutella. The brand did not start using Palm Oil until around 2006, prior to that they used PEANUT OIL. Here is an archive from an old Nutella website with frequently asked questions about their peanut ingredient.

So, why not just avoid this whole controversy and go back to using peanut oil? Besides the company claiming that palm oil is safe, another reason according to Reuters is, palm oil is the cheapest vegetable oil on the market.

Yes, there is evidence that lots of things we consume cause cancer, including cigarettes, hydrogenated oils, MSGs, alcohol, cured meat, pan-seared steak, etc. However, the more you know, the more you can make informed decisions about what to eat and what to avoid.