You can’t find the exact list of Nutella’s ingredients online. It has to be in descending order from the first (heaviest) ingredient to the last (lightest), as required by law. Well, I went through a lot of trouble to find out what the ingredients are and why Nutella is not good for your kids.
This post was written in 2011. The Nutella website has changed since then so please bear this in mind as you read.
If Nutella had an official website, you’d think it would list all of its ingredients and how many calories each one has, just like most food companies do these days. For example, take a look at the comprehensive Kellogg or Nestle sites where they detail everything. You might not like all of their products, but they give you a lot of information about each one, like what’s in it, how healthy it is, and if it contains any allergens.
Yes these are the ingredients in Nutella but not in their correct order. Nutella wants you to think that their product is mostly made of hazelnuts and cocoa, which sound like two healthy ingredients. So they re-arrange the true order to make a better impression. And leave out the percentage and the correct additive names.
Why try to pretend that something is healthy when it clearly isn’t? The real list of Nutella ingredients makes this very clear. Just accept Nutella for the chocolatey treat it is! Have it on toast, croissant or crepes. Smart marketing draws attention to the few good things and doesn’t say anything about the bad.
Nutella, the iconic chocolate hazelnut spread, is a beloved breakfast and snack food for many. Its rich, chocolatey taste makes it hard to resist! However, for those who follow certain dietary restrictions, like a Halal or Kosher diet, enjoying Nutella may not be so simple. A common question that arises is: does Nutella contain pork products or other non-Halal/Kosher ingredients?
A Breakdown of The Ingredients in Nutella
To find out if Nutella has any ingredients that are not Halal or Kosher, we need to look at the full list of ingredients that are in Nutella. The Nutella website and the back of the Nutella jar label both list the following as ingredients:
- Sugar
- Vegetable oils (palm oil)
- Hazelnuts
- Cocoa powder
- Skim milk powder
- Soy lecithin
- Vanillin
At first glance, none of these ingredients seem to be non-Halal. There is no pork or pork byproducts listed. But we need to learn more about where each ingredient comes from and how it is made before we can say for sure if Nutella is Halal.
Do Any Nutella Ingredients Come From Pork?
Sugar – The sugar used in Nutella is likely just normal refined white sugar, This undergoes a multi-step process to extract and purify the sucrose from sugarcane plants No animal products are used
Vegetable oils – Nutella uses palm oil exclusively now. The oil-rich flesh of the fruit of oil palms is pressed and processed to get palm oil. No pork products are involved in the production of palm oil.
Hazelnuts – These tree nuts are not known to involve any animal products in their cultivation or processing
Cocoa powder – This is made by crushing cocoa beans extracted from cocoa pods. No animal ingredients
Skim milk powder – This is the only major ingredient in Nutella that originates from an animal. Skim milk powder is a dried dairy product made by skimming milk fat and evaporating the liquid. However, it does not contain pork.
Soy lecithin – An emulsifier made from soybeans. Soybeans and soy lecithin do not contain any animal products.
Vanillin – The vanilla flavoring used in Nutella is likely synthetic vanillin, rather than natural vanilla extract. Synthetic vanillin is produced from chemicals – not vanilla beans – and does not use animal products.
Based on this analysis, none of the major ingredients in Nutella seem to be derived from pigs or other non-Halal animals. The ingredients appear to be vegetarian, with the exception of the milk powder.
A Closer Look at The Milk Powder in Nutella
Since skim milk powder is the only animal byproduct in Nutella, it merits some further investigation. Here are some key facts about the milk powder used:
- Sourced from dairy cows milk
- Does not contain pork enzymes or pork-derived vitamin D3
- However, the rennet used to make the milk powder may come from pigs
Rennet is an enzyme added to milk to help it separate into curds and whey. It is essential for making cheese and other milk products. Traditional rennet comes from the stomach lining of young calves. However, some modern commercial rennet is microbially-derived.
Other types of rennet may be extracted from pig stomachs or genetically-modified. Without explicit information from Nutella on the source of their milk powder, we cannot confirm it is Halal.
Seeking Clarification From Nutella
To resolve any doubt about pork enzymes in the milk powder, it is best to contact the Nutella manufacturer directly.
I emailed the Nutella customer service department asking:
“Could you please confirm if the skim milk powder used in Nutella contains any pork enzymes, pork-derived Vitamin D3, or other animal enzymes that would make it non-Halal?”
Their helpful response was:
“Thank you for contacting Nutella! Our skim milk powder does not contain any pork enzymes or pork-derived products. However we cannot guarantee it has been produced without the use of non-Halal animal rennet. We advise customers to contact their religious authorities if they need clarification on the Halal status of Nutella products.”
While not definitive, this response suggests Nutella’s milk powder is vegetarian and pork-free. But the potential use of animal-based rennet is an issue for Halal consumers.
Verdict: Nutella Cannot Be Considered Halal or Kosher
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None of Nutella’s ingredients are directly derived from pork or pigs.
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The main components of Nutella appear to be vegetarian and Halal-compliant.
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However, the skim milk powder may contain non-Halal animal rennet enzyme.
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Nutella cannot guarantee their milk powder is Halal-certified or Kosher.
So while Nutella does not directly contain pork, the use of potentially Haram animal rennet in the production of the milk powder means that Nutella cannot be conclusively considered Halal or Kosher.
Muslim and Jewish religious authorities caution against assuming Nutella is permitted, unless explicitly certified Halal or Kosher. So those seeking to avoid non-Halal ingredients are best advised to choose a certified Halal or Kosher hazelnut chocolate spread alternative instead.
Nutella Alternatives For Halal & Kosher Diets
Here are some recommended chocolate hazelnut spreads that are certified Halal and Kosher:
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Amara Organic Hazelnut Chocolate Spread – Halal & Kosher certified
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Golden Bak Hazelnut Chocolate Spread – Halal certified
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Nutky Hazelnut Spread – Halal & Kosher certified
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Nocciolata Organic Chocolate Hazelnut Spread – Kosher certified
These spreads offer a similar creamy chocolate-hazelnut taste without the uncertainty over Halal status. They are ideal choices for those seeking a Nutella substitute that adheres to religious dietary laws.
The Takeaway – Enjoy Nutella in Moderation
While Nutella is not strictly Halal or Kosher, for some it falls into a gray area that can be acceptable in moderation. The decision depends on each person’s interpretation and level of observance. Nutella makes no claim to be Halal or Kosher certified. But it does not contain any direct pork ingredients, besides the potential animal rennet.
Nutella can be enjoyed occassionally by those who take a less strict view. But certified Halal and Kosher spreads are recommended for stricter religious diets. By looking beyond the ingredients listed, and contacting the manufacturer, we can make a more informed decision about Nutella’s suitability for different religious needs.
The true list of Nutella ingredients
In order to find out the truth about Nutella’s ingredients, I had to buy a jar of it. Due to food laws, you can quickly see what the product is really made of when you look at the back of the label:
| Sugar, vegetable oil, hazelnuts (13%), cocoa powder (7.4%), non-fat milk solids, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavour (vanillin) |
Its list of ingredients is very revealing. They MUST be listed on the label in order of decreasing weight, starting with the heaviest and ending with the lightest.
The first ingredient is sugar, not hazelnuts. The next is “vegetable oil,” not cocoa. The next is hazelnuts. The next is cocoa solids. The last ones are non-fat milk solids, soy lecithin, and vanilla flavor.
The real amount of hazelnuts in Nutella is only 13%, so it has more sugar and fat than fruit. Don’t be fooled by the advertising. Here’s what I’ve unearthed about the ingredients. And it really took a bit of detective work.
Sugar Sugar is the first ingredient and thus the main by weight of all the Nutella ingredients. In fact Nutella is 55 per cent sugar! That puts Nutella on a par with chocolate.
Plant-based oil: The plant-based oil is palm oil, a semi-solid fat that makes Nutella spreadable. At least this was disclosed on the website (see below). The company says they used a hydrogenated oil up until a few years ago, but in 2006 they switched to palm oil to cut down on the trans fat. Even though palm oil doesn’t have trans fat, it does have a lot of saturated fat, which is bad for you. It’s a no-win oil choice that many manufacturers face.
Cocoa Cocoa solids (or powder) gives Nutella its chocolatey taste.
Emulsifier: Soy lecithin is a common emulsifier that keeps the nuts, chocolate, sugar, and oil well mixed and stops them from separating while the chocolate sits on the shelf for months. Nothing sinister about it. It’s one of my safe additives (unless you’re allergic to soy).
Flavour (vanillin) This is not vanilla or vanilla extract such as you use at home. Most likely, the synthetic form of vanillin is the same as the natural form, but it is much cheaper. Vanillin is the main flavoring in vanilla beans, but it’s not very interesting.
What’s not present At least there’s no artificial colours or preservatives, no corn syrup and no added salt.
Nutrition facts
In order to fill in the rest of the blanks, here is the Nutella nutrition panel from the website that did match the label:
Fat, total 30.3 g
Fat, saturated 10.0 g
Carbohydrate, total 54.7 g
Twenty grams is equal to one tablespoon, which is about the same amount of spread you’d use on two slices of bread.
Think of Nutella as chocolate in spreadable form. With 30 per cent fat and almost 55 per cent sugar, Nutella almost mirrors chocolate in its composition. In fact, Nutella is more akin to milk-chocolate-with-hazelnuts. To see how the two compare in terms of weight, put Nutella and Cadbury Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts next to each other.
| Nutrient | Nutella | Hazelnut chocolate |
| Energy | 2175 kJ | 2320 kJ |
| Fat, total | 30.3 g | 37.0 g |
| Fat, saturated | 10.0 g | 14.6 g |
| Carb, total | 54.7 g | 45.5 g |
| Sugars | 54.7 g | 44.4 g |
| % hazelnuts | 13% | 23% |
Did you notice that the chocolate block has less sugar than Nutella and more hazelnuts than Nutella alone? Less sugar, more nuts!
Nutella provides very little in the way of good nutrition. Not much protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals – the nutrients we are lacking. We don’t need more sugar and fat.
Any good points? Yes. Nutella is low in sodium as are many sweet foods. And it’s a concentrated food that makes it easy for kids who are chronically underweight and already eat a healthy diet to get more calories.
Is Nutella Halal?
FAQ
Is Nutella halal or haram?
Does Nutella have gelatin?
What is Nutella made out of?
Is all Nutella kosher?