evidence: Nutella maker Ferrero fights back claims the palm oil-filled chocolate spread causes cancer [...] Claims that eating Nutella can lead to cancer have revamped amid a dispute over the health hazards of palm oil, one of the world-famous chocolate spread main ingredients. The controversy comes on the back of research from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published in May claiming that the consumption of palm oil products may lead to cancer, amid growing awareness from the general public over the damages that palm oil production causes to wildlife and to the environment. But while companies have made efforts to substitute palm oil in their products, Nutella maker Ferrero publicly defends the use of the vegetable oil.