evidence: Don’t freak out, that Nutella cancer study is far from confirmed Nutella can give you lots of things — like happiness or high blood sugar — but cancer isn't one of them, according to the company that makes the hazelnut spread. Italian confectionery giant Ferrero is pushing back against a European study that suggests chemicals from palm oil — an ingredient in Nutella and thousands of other packaged foods — might pose a cancer risk to humans.