FDA seeks about American’s consumption of Nutella

FDA seeks about American’s consumption of Nutella.

Nutella is basically a spreadable chocolate bar.

Even though it’s marketed as a “hazelnut” spread, every two-tablespoon (37 grams) “serving” contains 20 grams of sugar.

Source: Mashable

If you glance at the Nutella label, you’ll see “200 calories.” That’s for two tablespoons, the serving size for a dessert topping.

“If Nutella were reclassified as a ‘jam,’ its food label would say that it has 100 calories per tablespoon,” Chen writes, “and that could make people think it’s healthier than it is. People are already bad at reading food labels. . . . We often don’t keep track of how much we eat and are easily tricked by a small number next to the ‘calorie’ box — which is exactly what would happen in this case.”

The FDA is seeking public comment. You have until Jan. 3 to tell the agency whether you consider a normal serving of Nutella to be one tablespoon or two.

They even included National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to bolster their argument. “The reported mean, median, and mode consumption amounts from this analysis for ‘Nutella,’ including similar products used as chocolate-flavored hazelnut spreads, were 22.6 grams (about 1 tbsp.), 18 grams (1 tbsp.), and 18 grams (1 tbsp.), respectively.”

But the FDA isn’t necessarily buying it. Instead, they’re asking the American people, who are pretty much experts on sugar consumption, to pitch in an help get to the bottom of this Seinfeld-esque debate over the classification of Nutella.

“We invite interested persons to comment on the appropriate RACC and product category for flavored nut butter spreads (e.g., cocoa, cookie, and coffee flavored), and products used as fillings for cupcakes and other desserts, such as cakes and pastries,” the FDA wrote. “Please thoroughly explain your reasoning and provide data and other information to support your comments and responses to these questions.”