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food / travel

German Court To Nutella: Stop Hawking Your Chocolate Treat As Healthy

Nutella may be tasty, but the creamy chocolate spread is not nearly as healthy as its labels would suggest. A court in Frankfurt has ruled that Ferrero, Nutella’s parent company, needs to change its labels, which consumer groups call downright deceptive.

Nutella for breakfast
Nutella for breakfast

*NEWSBITES

Nutella manufacturer Ferrero markets its popular chocolate-hazelnut spread as not only being good, but good for you. A German courts begs to differ, arguing that while Nutella product may be indeed be delicious, its does not have the nutritional value or vitamin content its labels would suggest.

Frankfurt's Court of Appeals has ordered Ferrero to change its Nutella labels, insisting they contain erroneous and misleading information. The court sided with consumer protection groups, which claim the company calculated Nutella's fat and carbohydrate content based on a 15-gram portion, while estimating vitamin and mineral content – which appear on the labels in another color so as to stand out – based on a 100-gram portion. That would mean that the consumer would have to eat a fourth of a jar of Nutella, not 15 grams, to absorb the vitamin content listed.

Also, as the high percentages of vitamins and minerals contrasted with the low percentages listed on the labels for carbohydrates (3%) and fat (7%), clients could easily reach the false conclusion that Nutella contains very little fat and carbohydrates, but plenty of healthy vitamins.

In a typical supermarket buying situation, the court said, consumers didn't have the time to make all the calculations and would react positively to the apparent information that a product contained low amounts and fat and sugar and high amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Frankfurt-based Ferrero Deutschland announced it plans to appeal the case in the Federal Supreme Court. The company said it is convinced the labeling is transparent and easily understandable, and that it fulfills all legal requirements. However, it stated that in the meantime it would voluntarily change the labels by the end of this year, and list all nutritional values per portion.

Read the full story in German by Christian Ebner

Photo - janineomg

*Newsbites are digest items, not direct translations

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Green

Moose In Our Midst: How Poland's Wildlife Preservation Worked A Bit Too Well

Wild moose have been spotted on Polish beaches and even near cities. They're a rare example of successful conservation efforts, but they're increasingly coming into contact with people.

Photo of a moose crossing a road

Moose seen in Poland

Joanna Wisniowska

GDANSK — Images of wild moose roaming the streets and beaches of Poland’s Baltic coast have been cropping up online more frequently. What should someone do if they encounter one? According to Mateusz Ciechanowski, a biologist at the University of Gdansk, the best option is to leave them alone.

“This is the result of the consistent protection that has been provided to this species of moose,” said Ciechanowski. “As the numbers increase, so does the animals’ range”.

Various media outlets have been publishing reports about spotted wild moose in the cities of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot with increasing frequency. Perhaps more surprising is that these moose have been seen on beaches as well.

Centuries ago, moose could be found all over the European continent. But, like the European bison, they were often hunted for their value as an attractive game animal.

Aside from population declines due to hunting, the drainage of European wetlands also decreased the number of viable moose habitats. The animals, which prefer marshy areas, dwindled without the proper natural environment to flourish in.

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