Wait, Nutella isn't a Health Food?!?

Nutella and Food Allergies

I had to shake my head this weekend when I heard about the Nutella® lawsuit. Apparently some people watched TV ads for Nutella and believed the gooey, chocolaty spread was a health food. That in spite of the fact that the first ingredient listed on the label is sugar. 


"I don't have time to read ingredients when I'm grocery shopping. It would take me like 4 or 5 hours to shop," said San Diego mom Athena Hohenberg (the plaintiff behind the class-action suit) this weekend in a TV interview.


Welcome to our world. A world of reading food labels so you know what you're buying and feeding your family. Trust me, I'd like to not read food labels too. It sure would make for quicker grocery shopping and I could go on believing that carrot cake is a health food.


A couple of tips for people who eat food:

• don't trust advertisements by companies trying to get you to buy their food product .
• spend a few minutes reading the ingredient labels of the foods you eat and feed to your family. 

Many food allergy families would have avoided Nutella due to the nuts, dairy and soy clearly listed on its label, but if you happened to buy Nutella between Jan. 1, 2008 and Feb. 3, 2012, you can file a claim. 
 You may be eligible for up to $20 from the company.


However, if you choose to purchase more Nutella with your winnings, know that you're getting a spread of sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, reduced minerals, whey, soy lecithin and vanillin. 


I know, because it says so right on the label.