Does This Image Show What Nutella Is REALLY Made Of?

Chocoholics the world over were forced to think twice about their chocolate spread consumption last week during #NutellaGate, but a new viral image circulating online today might make it easier to resist temptation. The picture, uploaded to Reddit by user Mr Flow, purports to show what everyone's favourite cocoa flavoured treat looks like before the ingredients are mixed together. It shows the layers of sugar, crushed hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk powder and cocoa sitting atop one another in a less-than-appetising fashion, topped with a hefty helping of controversial palm oil on top. According to nutritionist Meghan Telpner, the spread is so laden with sugar, it should be immediately banned from every breakfast table.

“Nutella contains 70 per cent saturated fat and processed sugar by weight. A two-tablespoon (37 gram) serving of Nutella contains 200 calories including 99 calories from 11 grams of fat (3.5g of which are saturated) and 80 calories from 21 grams of sugar,” writes Telpner.

In addition, the spread contains 15mg of sodium and just two sad little grams of protein per serving. The fat content in here wouldn't be a problem if it were from a clean source. Modified palm oil, however, is far from clean. It is one of the more toxic and damaging types of fats we can consume. And don't even get me started on that amount of sugar.”

But Ferrero, the maker of the spread, is – after seeing a three percent decline in profit– now fighting back against claims Nutella could cause cancer with a brand new marketing campaign. In fact, the Italian corporation goes to great lengths in reassuring its customers of their decision to keep palm oil in the spread, despite fears.

“Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward,” Ferrero's purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella told Reuters.

Have you binned your chocolate spread or do you refuse to believe the detractors? Let us know on Twitter @HerFamilydotie.