Ferrero, the Italian maker of Nutella, has denied reports that the confectionery spread has been pulled from some supermarket shelves, following the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) suggestions that palm oil could be carcinogenic, Just-Food has reported.
Local reports in Italy suggested that Coop Italia, a leading retailer in the country, had withdrawn Nutella from its shelves. However, while the retailer has removed some products containing palm oil, these are from the retailer's private label range.
"We can confirm that Nutella has never been removed from the supermarket shelves in any countries," a Ferrero spokesperson told Just-Food. "The Italian supermarket Coop removed its own private label products that contained palm oil."
A report by the EFSA had suggested that when palm oil is heated, such as in food production, it can produce carcinogenic acids, however it did not elaborate on what levels are harmful.
Ferrero has responded by insisting that its products are safe to eat. "The health and safety of consumers is an absolute and first priority for Ferrero and we confirm that Ferrero products are safe," a spokesperson said earlier this week.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
