evidence: Hold Up: This Ingredient In Nutella May Be Unsafe If you've ever eaten Nutella, you probably know it's packed with sugar and fat. You also probably don't care. That's because (in my very popular opinion) the chocolate hazelnut spread is an unparalleled slice of heaven, healthier options be damned. All that stops me from throwing a few jars into my cart each visit to the grocery store is that I know I could hardly resist downing a whole one in a single sitting, but I've never considered cutting it from my repertoire of treats entirely. Until, that is, claims emerged that Nutella (at least one ingredient) can allegedly cause cancer — sort of. After 90 seconds of intense soul-searching, I realized I'll probably indulge in some honey wheat braided pretzels submerged in globs of the stuff anyhow, as per personal custom. The assessment of the European Food and Safety Authority that one of Nutella's principle ingredients, palm oil, could generate a carcinogen if heated at a high enough temperature is reason enough to take notice of the warning. But since the troubling news went public in May, the Italian company that makes Nutella, Ferrero, has been on both the defensive and the offensive seeking to reassure customers via television commercials that the palm oil in its products is safe and necessary to maintain its deliciousness too, Reuters reported. Ferrero has not yet responded to Romper's request for comment.