War is brewing in Europe once again only, this time, the issue strikes at the very soul of a nation. Italians are up in arms over new guidelines that would label Nutella, the sweet, smooth hazelnut chocolate spread, as junk food.
Mama mia!
Nutella, which tastes great on pretty much everything (I like it spread over cream cheese on a bagel), has been an Italian staple since it hit the market in 1964. For Italians, it’s as much about childhood memories as it is a cultural icon in its own right. The European Union, however, wants to begin labeling foods with high levels of fat, sugar, and other less-than-ideal ingredients as junk food so that consumers have an immediate visual cue about the nature of the products they buy.
Nutella, as it happens, contains high levels of both fat and sugar. In fact, sugar is the first in the list of ingredients followed immediately by palm oil. While EU authorities are hoping to raise awareness about junk food in general, Italians have taken the effort personally interpreting the move as a direct assault on one of their favorite foods.
One government official has launched a “Hands off Nutella!” campaign which has also won the support of the governor of the province where creamy confection is made. Giancarlo Galan, Italy’s agriculture and food minister, has few kind words for the move. “Sometimes, the strict application of rules … reveals their stupidity,” the British Telegraph quotes him as saying.
Source link : https://www.delish.com/food/news/a38210/nutella-is-life/
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Publish date : 2010-06-21 07:00:00
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