Nutella Announces First New Flavor In Over 60 Years
Ditching their 62-year-old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," mantra, Nutella has come out with a brand new flavor, for the first time in the product's history.
The hazelnut cocoa spread, popular on toast, fruit, and countless other food items, will introduce Nutella Peanut in retailers across the U.S. later this year. The move was apparently inspired by the iconic sweet treat floating in outer space, as part of a now-viral incident on the Artemis II Orion spacecraft on April 6.
"Honestly, when a jar of Nutella goes viral floating in space, you start to feel like anything is possible. So naturally our next move as a brand was dropping our first new flavor innovation in over 60 years," Noah Szporn, Senior Vice President of Spreads, Ferrero North America, announced in a press statement on Thursday.
"Nutella Peanut delivers the same creamy experience fans know and love, now blended with the irresistible taste of roasted peanuts. Our fans have been asking for this for years. We heard them, and afternoon snack time will never be the same."
No release date was given for when Nutella fans can expect to see Nutella Peanut at a supermarket near them, but a pop-up event for the product's launch in New York City was announced for May 16–17.
Nutella, manufactured by Italian confectionery giant Ferrero, first hit shelves in 1964. The spread was first developed at the bakery of the brand's founder, Pietro Ferrero, at his bakery in the town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in the 1940s. The product first came to the U.S. in 1983 and has been a breakfast staple ever since.
The product, made from hazelnuts, palm oil, cocoa powder, and skimmed milk, has had its recipe largely untouched since its debut over 60 years ago — although its 50% palm oil ingredient has been subject to much criticism by environmental activists. There are several spin-off products across its 160-country-wide customer base, including Nutella Biscuits, Nutella B-ready, and Nutella & Go, but the core hazelnut flavor has never been subject to change before.