Nutella is the brand name of a hazelnut-based sweet spread created by the Italian company Ferrero in the 1940s. At the time, chocolate was very limited due to the Second World War. Nutella is now marketed in over 75 countries across the globe.

History

Gianduja is a type of chocolate containing about 50% almond and hazelnut paste that was developed in Piedmont after excessive taxes on cocoa beans hindered the diffusion of conventional chocolate. Pietro Ferrero owned a patisserie in Alba, in the Langhe district of Piedmont, an area known for the production of hazelnuts. In 1946 he sold an initial batch of of "Pasta Gianduja". This was a solid block, but in 1949 Pietro developed his first spread, which he first sold in 1951 as "Supercrema".

In 1963, Pietro's son Michele Ferrero decided to revamp Supercrema, with the intention of marketing it Europe-wide; its composition was modified, as well as the label image and brand name: the name "Nutella" (based on the word "nut") and its logo were registered towards the end of the same year, and remain unchanged to this day. The first jar of Nutella left the Ferrero factory in Alba on April 20 1964. The product was an instant success, and remains widely popular. The estimated Italian production of Nutella averages 179,000 tons per year.Fact: date=February 2007 !

Pronunciation

The Italian pronunciation is IPA2: nuˈtɛlːa, and an approximation of this is made in most other languages, including American English. In the UK, however, Nutella is normally , reflecting its derivation from the English word "nut" /nʌt/.

Composition

Nutella is a modified form of gianduja. The exact recipe is a secret closely guarded by Ferrero. According to the product label, the main ingredients of Nutella are sugar and modified vegetable oils, followed far behind by hazelnut, cocoa and skimmed milk, comprising together at most 28% of the ingredients. The recipe for Nutella varies in different countries. In the case of Italy the formulation uses less sugar than the product sold in France. Nutella is marketed as "hazelnut cream" in many countries; it cannot be labeled as a chocolate cream under Italian law, as it does not meet minimum cocoa concentration criteria.

About half of the calories in Nutella come from fat (11g in a 37g serving, or 99 kcal out of 200 kcal) and about 40% of the calories come from sugar (20g, 80 kcal). 1

Listed ingredients {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Country ! sugar ! oil ! hazelnuts ! cocoa ! skim milk ! emulsifier ! flavouring ! others |- | flag: Australia | | vegetable | 13% | fat-reduced cocoa powder (7.4%) | skim milk powder (8.7%) | soy lecithin | vanillin | |- | flag: France | | vegetable | 13% | fat-reduced cocoa powder (7.4%) | skimmed milk powder | soy lecithin | flavouring | |- | flag: Germany | | vegetable | 13% | fat-reduced cocoa powder | skimmed milk powder (7.5%) | soy lecithin | vanillin | |- | flag: Italy | | vegetable | 13% | fat-reduced cocoa powder | skimmed milk powder (5%) | soy lecithin | flavouring | whey powder |- | flag: Brazil | | vegetable | 13% | fat-reduced cocoa (7.5%) | skimmed milk powder (6.6%) | soy lecithin | vanillin | whey powder |- | flag: Poland | | rapeseed | 13% | cocoa (7.4%) | skimmed milk (5%) | soya lecithin | vanillin | lactose |- | flag: Spain | | vegetable | 13% | fat free cocoa (7.4%) | skimmed milk powder (6.6%) | soy lecithin | flavouring | whey powder |- | flag: United Kingdom | | vegetable | 13% | fat-reduced cocoa (7.4%) | skimmed milk powder (6.6%) | soy lecithin | vanillin | whey powder |- |
flag: Canada | | modified palm | hazelnuts | cocoa | skimmed milk | soy lecithin | vanillin | reduced mineral whey |- | flag: Israel | | vegetable | 13% | fat-reduced cocoa powder (7.4%) | skimmed milk powder (5%) | soy lecithin | vanillin |-