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California Mom Sues Nutella, Says Nutrition Claims Exaggerated
Filed under: In The News, Mealtime
A California mom says she was shocked to learn Nutella isn't nutritious. Credit: Alberto Pellaschiar, AP
Not surprised? California mom Athena Hohenberg says she was, and now she's suing the makers of Nutella, claiming she believed the popular sandwich spread was a nutritious treat, but discovered it's actually loaded with sugar and saturated fat, Fox News reports.
In the suit filed in San Diego federal court, Hohenberg says she was "shocked to learn that Nutella was in fact, not 'healthy, nutritious' food, but instead was the next best thing to a candy bar, and that Nutella contains dangerous levels of saturated fat," according to Fox.
On its website, Nutella markets its cocoa and hazelnut spread as an idea for busy moms trying to "nourish their children with whole grains," adding that "Nutella can form a part of a balanced meal."
These claims are presented as coming from Nutella's "expert," Connie Evers M.S., R.D., an "award-winning, registered dietitian, children's nutrition expert and mother of three."
According to the nutrition label listed on the website, a two-tablespoon serving of Nutella contains 200 calories, 11 grams of total fat and 3.5 grams of saturated fat. The spread's ingredients are listed as: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), lecithin as emulsifier (soy) and vanillin, an artificial flavor.
The suit points out that saturated fat has been shown to be a cause of heart disease, while processed sugar has been shown to cause type 2 diabetes, Fox reports.
Hohenberg wants to turn her suit into a class action suit, and asks that any monetary judgment be divided among "all persons who purchased on or after January 2000 one or more Nutella products in the United States for their own or household use."
In the suit, Hohenberg alleges "Nutella was worth less than what plaintiff and members of the class paid for them," and says many consumers would not have purchased Nutella had they been aware of the exaggerated health claims surrounding it, Fox reports.
Hohenberg is also asking that Ferrero, Nutella's parent company, launch a new ad campaign to correct the allegedly misleading claims about the spread.
Elise Titan, a spokesperson for Ferrero USA, tells Fox the company stands by the wholesomeness of Nutella.
"What we can say right now is that we stand behind the quality of ingredients in Nutella hazelnut spread and advertising for our product," Titan says.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-07-2011 @ 1:58PM
Amos said...The first ingredient is sugar. What did she expect. Yeah, you can get your kids to eat whole grain waffles and wheat toast... if you put enough sugar and chocolate on it! If she's that miffed about it, she should not buy it. She could've read the label the first time she bought it.
Reply
2-07-2011 @ 3:53PM
Natalie said...I don't fall for marketing tactics. As a responsible parent, I always check the labels before I buy something. She could've discovered this from the beginning by reading the label herself. Ignorance is not an excuse to sue.
2-07-2011 @ 8:30PM
dougalcandy said...How can it be healthy??? Its delicious!
Reply
2-07-2011 @ 11:37PM
Robin said...What a ridiculous waste of time and money! If that woman had half a brain she would have read the label (provided she understood that 11 grams of fat and 3.5 grams of saturated fat is not healthy at all) and would not have served it to her kids, period the end. Just because something is *advertised* as part of a "balanced meal" doesn't mean it is "healthy," it just means the manufacturer wants to increase sales.
Reply
2-08-2011 @ 8:54AM
Esmerelda said...Well, DUH. When the first ingredient is sugar, what do you expect? Take a little responsibility. Anyone too stupid to surmise that a bottle full of sugar flavored with some cocoa and nuts isn't a "health food" shouldn't be allowed to have children.
Reply
2-08-2011 @ 1:04PM
Bridget said...What has happened to personal responsibility? So you don't read a nutrition label to discover your tasty snack is indeed bad for you, so of course that's not your fault at all! Nutella is being marketed as a nutritious treat but so are things like Snickers bars ("Snickers really satisfies"). Be a discerning consumer of marketing! Stop wasting the time of our judicial system and educate yourself. Geez...
Reply
2-08-2011 @ 1:32PM
Alicia said...I'll admit the Nutella commercials do sell it as a way to make healthy eating palatable, but come on. It's chocolate and hazelnut flavoring. If you know that a Ferrero Rocher is healthy, why would you think a spoonful of Nutella is? They're even made by the same bloody company!
Reply
2-08-2011 @ 2:46PM
Lou said...I, personally, am so tired of individuals who feel a lawsuit is the answer to their stupidity. If you truly want healthy, read the darn label, use a little intelligence, and understand that YOU are responsible for your actions and purchases. Nutella is a delicious product that Italians have enjoyed from many years, but never once did I hear them say it was anything other than a sweet pleasure. Shame on our legal system for allowing a frivolous lawsuit such as this to go forward, and shame on the woman who really thinks she should be allowed to sue for her stupidity and ignorance.
Reply
2-08-2011 @ 8:53PM
K said...Since when does the phrase "Nutella can form a part of a balanced meal." say anything about it being healthy or nutritious? Just about ANY food can be a part of a balanced diet - maybe a very small, once-in-a-blue-moon special treat part of the balanced diet, but part of it all the same. Where has personal responsibility gone? It's chocolate spread - obviously feeding it to your kids every single day is a bad idea.
Reply
2-10-2011 @ 3:50PM
Kate said...I adore Nutella. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, being a literate, thinking person, and thus, able to read and comprehend the NUTRITION INFORMATION clearly printed on the back of the jar, I was able to ascertain that this would not be advantageous to my health, so I consume it as one should - SPARINGLY like all treats and desserts. This is yet another indicator of the decline of critical thinking abilities in our society. We're going to be a land of nitwits soon.
Reply
2-11-2011 @ 2:56PM
Adriane said...I just compared the fat and sugar nutrition facts on my jar of Nutella to those on a shelf-stable national brand of peanut butter. Based on the labels and a little common sense, this is a frivolous, attention-seeking lawsuit. Here is what I found for a 2 tablespoon serving:
Calories: Nutella = 200 PB = 190
Total Fat: Nutella = 11g PB = 16 g
Sat Fat: Nutella = 3.5 g PB = 3g
Sugar: Nutella = 21g PB = 3g
Protein: Nutella = 3 g PB = 7 g
So, although Nutella is much higher in sugar, it's lower in total fat and comparable in saturated fat (other national brands of PB have 3.5 g). When you put regular jam or jelly with that PB, the sugar contents might be similar. My family will still be enjoying Nutella as a treat on whole grain bread or graham crackers.
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