We all love Nutella, how creamy and rich it is – made with cocoa, hazelnut, and palm oil. People love how good it tastes – it can be eaten straight out of its container. But there seems to be a debate about Nutella in the news lately – The real question is, is it a spread or a dessert topping?

A 2-tablespoon serving contains 11 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbohydrates and 200 calories. Several years ago, there was a lawsuit by a California mother for a false advertisement of Nutella being a healthy breakfast. That lawsuit was then settled for 3 million dollars back in 2012. If that’s only a 2-tablespoon serving, imagine people topping off Nutella on desserts, instead of just making it a spread on bread or making it a sandwich.

The FDA (The Food and Drug Administration)  has been arguing  with Ferrero whether Nutella is a spread or a dessert topping. The American government has considered Nutella as a desert topping since 1993; it’s maker, Italian Company Ferrero, says that it should be in the same category as sweet spreads, like honey, fruit jam, or fruit butter. The FDA says that “a great number of Americans” answered in a survey that people eat Nutella on their ice cream. In contrast, Ferrero says that in 2012, a survey of 722 Nutella purchasers, 74 percent say that they eat it as a spread on bread, on toast, or as a sandwich. 6 percent say they eat it on it’s own. 

Most people have different opinions about whether Nutella is a dessert topping or a sweet spread. What do you think? Do you think it should be considered a spread or a dessert topping, and if you have had Nutella before, how did you eat it?