Nutella Loses the ‘Healthy’ Lawsuit

So, it turns out that Nutella is officially not that good for you after all.

Last week, Ferraro, the company that manufactures the addictively sweet chocolate spread, agreed to a $3 million dollar payout in order to end a class action lawsuit filed against them by four American mothers.

The mothers, all of whom purchased Nutella under the guise that it was a nutritious part of the breakfast meal—based on the commercials for the product—were shocked to discover that there is more sugar and palm oil than skim milk and hazelnuts in the popular morning food.

Athena Hohenberg, a San Diego-area mother of a four-year-old, who initiated the legal claim, says she found out from her friends what was really in Nutella. Apparently she was ‘shocked to learn that Nutella was in fact not a ‘healthy, nutritious food’, but instead was the next best thing to a candy bar,’ her lawsuit said. Her discovery will not only see Ferraro making the large cash payout, but, more importantly in my opinion, will also result in the company reversing its labelling and advertising campaigns.

I’m curious though, who do you think is ultimately responsible here? Should companies have to pay for making unhealthy products or should parents be more informed about what they are feeding their kids? As a parent, do you think it’s difficult to know which packaged products are healthy, and which aren’t?

Here’s a homemade alternative to this spread.