The European Food Safety Authority recently denounced the carcinogenic potential of palm oil. In an advertisement, Ferrero strongly defends its Nutella spread.
Last May, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) stepped up to the plate against a famous spread. Much to the despair of young and old, it has classified Nutella in its list of potentially carcinogenic food products. In its sights, EFSA is targeting in fact one of the main ingredients of Ferrero’s famous product: palm oil.
The food company specializing in confectionery reacted this week by launching a communication campaign across Italy. In an advertising spot spotted by thebritish news agency Reuters, and relayed by Le Figaro, he denounces an “unfair campaign to denigrate palm oil”.
A safe recipe according to Ferrero
“The palm oil used by Ferrero is safe because it comes from freshly squeezed fruit and is processed at controlled temperatures,” says the group filmed in its factory in Alba (Piedmont, Italy). According to EFSA, carcinogenic elements appear when palm oil is heated to 200 degrees, something Ferrero denies doing when developing its Nutella.
This offensive is undoubtedly explained by sales of Nutella, which fell by 3% in the Italian peninsula over the annual financial year which ended at the end of August. Ferrero explains this bad patch by the fact that its competitors are aggressively promoting products guaranteed without palm oil. Globally, sales of the spread were not affected by the EFSA report, and are showing annual growth of 5-6%, however, the group assures us. The product also represents a fifth of its sales.
A costly substitution
In addition, Ferrero is still trying to put its weight in the palm oil sector, which represents 44 billion dollars: “We only buy 0.3% of world production,” he defends himself. According to Reuters, Ferrero uses 185,000 tonnes of palm oil each year to make its Nutella. And replacing that ingredient could cost between $ 8 million and $ 22 million per year more, at current market prices. Ferrero refuses for the moment to comment on these calculations and certifies that palm oil is irreplaceable in the Nutella recipe.
For its part, EFSA does not yet recommend a ban on the use or consumption of palm oil. The authority calls for the moment for further scientific research on palm oil. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – which have also highlighted the potential risk of cancer – also do not recommend that consumers stop consuming it. .
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