It is being removed from shelves!

halide kılıçarslan
Inside the News Media
2 min readJan 19, 2017

After it was reported that palm oil is a carcinogenic plant and much more harmful than any vegetable oil, Italy ha started to take Nutellas away from the shelves on the markets.

In 2016, after a research on palm oil, EFA (Europe Food Standards Agency) declared that the heated palm oil over 200 degree celsius is more dangerous than other vegetable oils.

WHO (World Health Organization), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have pointed to risk of palm oil like EFA, too, however, they haven’t imposed any restriction on use of palm oil in foods. After reports of EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) on risks of palm oil, Italy confronted many oppositions by public and then Coop supermarket chain and Barilla stopped using palm oil in their products. But, Ferrero company continued to use palm oil in Nutella on the grounds that its taste would change. When in last twelve months Nutella sales have decreased by three percent, Italy has campaigned advertisements which are promoting palm oil.

It is clear that Nutella is the most important product of Ferrero company. One fifth of the yearly income of the company is provided by Nutella sales. Also, Unilever and Nestle are keeping on using palm oil in many products, because they suggest that when they don’t use palm oil in their foods, taste would change and their sales would decline. In order to be not out of pocket, they pursue to risk people’s health.

Although companies are still using palm oil, supermarkets have started to remove Nutellas from the shelves. When they face with such a pressure by public, they take Nutellas away from the shelves as a solution and to prevent people’s negative reaction.

However, my personal opinion on this issue is removing the product is not a sensible action. If EFSA or FAO are not prohibiting palm oil usage in foods at all, it is nonsense that markets are taking the products away. Those people who are giving negative reaction to the products which contain palm oil, actually don’t have to buy them, they can show their reaction by not purchasing those products rather by causing removal of the products.

We are eating so many unhealthy and carcinogenic foods in today’s everyday life that I don’t think so that only Nutella can cause to kill us or make us carcinoma…

I love Nutella!

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