Nutella Plant-Based to hit supermarkets in Italy.

Italian food giant Ferrero on Tuesday announced the launch in Italy of a plant-based version of its popular chocolate hazelnut spread Nutella.

The launch of Nutella Plant-Based, which will be sold in a 350g jar with a retail price of €4.49, coincides with the 60th anniversary of Nutella which first went on sale in Italy in 1964.

The vegan spread, also suitable for people who are lactose intolerant, replaces milk with plant-based ingredients such as chickpeas and rice syrup, offering the same taste and texture as the original Nutella recipe.

The new product, recognisable by its green lid, will hit supermarket shelves this week in Italy, France and Belgium, before going on sale in other European countries in 2025.

Ferrero, which recently launched Nutella icecream, has underlined that Nutella Plant-Based is gluten-free and is certified by the Vegetarian Society as "Vegan Approved".

Nutella has long faced criticism over its constituent ingredient - palm oil - however Ferrero insists that it only uses 100 per cent certified, sustainable palm oil which is kept apart from conventional palm oil throughout the supply chain.

The sweet-tasting spread, a Made in Italy success story, is sold in 170 countries and is celebrated internationally each year on 5 February with World Nutella Day.