The white layer on Nutella is primarily made up of cocoa butter and sugar crystals. This mixture settles out of the product over time and forms a white layer on the surface of the spread. The shortening and cocoa solids can also migrate to this layer and contribute to the texture.
If you touch the spots and they are dry and do not melt, it's sugar bloom. If they taste like sugar, it's a good indication, too.
Why is there a layer of water on nutella? Like Anne said, it's oil. This is what happens when the oil and the solids separates. There either aren't any stabilizers, or enough stabilizers, like monoglycerides or diglycerides in the Nutella, to stop or slow down separation.
The presence of oil in Nutella also means that some of it might separate on top after storing the spread for a long time. It's a natural occurrence.
The white coating that forms on the surface of chocolate is called bloom, and—here's the good news—it's perfectly safe to eat.
We've got good news for you: It's absolutely still edible, and there's no need to throw out that perfectly OK chocolate bar. White flecks and spots on your chocolate bar are signs of either a “fat bloom” or a “sugar bloom,” and it's totally natural.
Chocolate bloom might look unappetizing, but it's completely safe to eat. That doesn't mean you'll want to eat it, though, as flavor and texture can both be compromised. “Bloom usually strips the chocolate of some of its most pleasing qualities,” says Laiskonis.
The vegetable oil frequently separates from Nutella. Heat speeds it up, but it also happens in batches that got slightly less lecithin. It's harmless and doesn't mean that it has spoiled, you need only do as you do for peanut butter: stir the oil back in thoroughly.
Of course, the first ingredient of Nutella is sugar. Listed second is palm oil, followed by hazelnuts, cocoa, milk, lecithin (soy) and vanillin. The most controversial ingredient in that list is the palm oil.
Discover our palm oil in a nutshell
The palm oil we use in Nutella® is 100% sustainable palm oil, traceable back to the mills.
To improve the spreadability and flavor of Nutella®, add extra virgin olive oil! We recommend 1 or 2 tablespoons per 8 oz jar of Nutella. You can scoop Nutella into a separate container and mix the olive oil, or you can just pour the olive oil right into your Nutella jar and mix!
The first layer represents skim milk powder, the second hazelnuts, the third sugar, followed by low fat cocoa powder and palm oil. While Nutella contains just five ingredients, a whopping half of the stuff is sugar.
The lecithin in Nutella® is a natural emulsifier that helps to balance our recipe.
The little bumps in your Nutella are most likely sugar bloom, but the truth is, the little bumps in Nutella came from areas of fat or oil that separated from the main emulsion.
Correction: it's harmless. Nutella is not “nutritionally complete” — you don't want to make it the main portion of your diet — but it's harmless and will have no negative effect on you when eaten in moderation (unless you're allergic to nuts — then you should avoid it). Enjoy.
The letter 'N' in the logo is in black and the rest of the letters are in the colour red. Ferrero had to keep the letter N in black due to trademark issues. There was another brand that used the name Nutella. So, to keep it different, he changed the colour of the letter 'N'.
Nutella® contains palm oil because it is the best option to ensure that the product has the right texture and structure, and because it does not interfere with the characteristic taste of the other ingredients.
Why the controversy? One of the key ingredients in Nutella is palm oil, a controversial commodity mainly produced in Malaysia and Indonesia that is celebrated for its crop efficiency and low cost of production but also criticized for its contribution to deforestation and pollution.
Without hesitation, Peanut Butter is the 'healthier' alternative to Nutella. Peanut Butter is lower in sugar, higher in protein and often lower in your unhealthy fats. The Centre of Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) describes Nutella as “more sugar and modified palm oil than hazlenut“.
Discard Nutella if its texture has changed (it's dried up or separated noticeably), it smells off, or if the flavor has changed. And make sure you don't have it around for more than a couple of months beyond the printed date.
Nutella should be stored with the lid tightly closed to keep out moisture and other contaminants. Keep it away from heat or the oils will separate. Nutella should not be refrigerated, as refrigeration will make it hard and unusable”. Additionally, Nutella labelling states, “no need for refrigeration”.
What is the shelf life of Nutella®? Nutella® has a 12 month shelf life even after opening for the portion packs (0.52oz), jars (26.5oz) and the tubs (6.6lb). Nutella® piping bag (35.2oz) has a 6 month shelf life.
If you see a white or grey hue to your chocolate then it's probably had a fat bloom – whilst it takes away from the glossy shine of your chocolate, it doesn't affect the taste. If your chocolate has a grainy and bitty texture then it will have experienced a sugar bloom.
Exposure to heat or light can prompt chocolate to bloom. So can quickly moving it to more humid air, like taking a piece from the refrigerator to the kitchen counter. Either the fat or sugar will manifest on the exterior, leading to the slightly white or gray discoloration.