[bootlegga]

French Senate passes 'Nutella tax' in hope of cutting down obesity

Quote:

PARIS - First the French government went after the rich. Now it has it in for Nutella.

Despite an outcry in support of the beloved chocolate and hazelnut spread, the Senate passed a measure Wednesday that would triple the tax on palm and some other vegetable oils in the hope of cutting down on obesity.

The "Nutella tax" would affect any foods made with those oils and bring in about €40 million ($51 million).

The measure is part of a bigger bill on financing the national health care system and aims to push manufacturers to use healthier alternatives.

But Frederic Thil, the head for France of Ferrero, which makes the spread, told Le Parisien newspaper that the recipe won't change.

The lower house of parliament still has to vote on the tax.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business ... story.html

[BartSimpson]

Cool. Now the criminals can make money by smuggling Nutella into France.

[raydan]

Quote:

But Frederic Thil, the head for France of Ferrero, which makes the spread, told Le Parisien newspaper that the recipe won't change.

Funny that the recipe has changed over the years. I'm sure that the company didn't use palm oil when they made it in the 40s.

Having said that... I love Nutella.

[andyt]

raydan wrote:

Quote:

But Frederic Thil, the head for France of Ferrero, which makes the spread, told Le Parisien newspaper that the recipe won't change.

Funny that the recipe has changed over the years. I'm sure that the company didn't use palm oil when they made it in the 40s.

Having said that... I love Nutella.

The ads I've seen for the stuff play up all the milk and nuts that are in it - you get at least one hazelnut in every serving or something. But if the company were smart, why not use a healthier oil - surely that would boost their healthy claim?

I guess palm oil is different than coconut oil? Coconut oil is supposed to be very healthy, and is partially hydrogenated I believe, so would keep well. But other manufacturers (horrible way to talk about food) have found ways to take the trans fats out of their products, why can't Nutella take the palm oil out of theirs?

[DrCaleb]

andyt wrote:

I guess palm oil is different than coconut oil? Coconut oil is supposed to be very healthy, and is partially hydrogenated I believe, so would keep well. But other manufacturers (horrible way to talk about food) have found ways to take the trans fats out of their products, why can't Nutella take the palm oil out of theirs?

Palm nuts are grown specifically for their oil. Not the same as coconut. Huge swaths of places like Paupa New Guniea have been stripped and planted with the palm monoculture product. Nasty business. Not to mention what it does when you eat it.

Recently we've been found to have a yet undiscovered sense of taste - sweet, salty, spicy, bitter . . . and fatty. Palm oil tastes different than peanut oil or olive oil - in it's fat content. If they replaced it, the product would taste different.

[martin14]

BartSimpson wrote:

Cool. Now the criminals can make money by smuggling Nutella into France.

I'm on it.

Depardieu is going to pitch in as well.

[raydan]

DrCaleb wrote:

Recently we've been found to have a yet undiscovered sense of taste - sweet, salty, spicy, bitter . . . and fatty. Palm oil tastes different than peanut oil or olive oil - in it's fat content. If they replaced it, the product would taste different.

I'm sure they've probably already changed the recipe, probably a few times in their history.

One bad recipe change is Map-O-Spread that I loved in the past. The product has changed so much that I just don't like it anymore.

[Public_Domain]

Sin Tax. Won't change any behaviours, just make people poorer.

Though I'm in favour because at least it'll make healthy food mroe economically viable in comparison. Want to reduce obesity? Sell vegitables at junk food prices and sell junk food at vegitable prices.

[herbie]

Always hated the stuff for it's taste and texture, which had to be from the palm oil.
They should tax things on how disgustingly unnatural they taste. Like the vanilla and Elmers White Glue they serve for shakes at McD's. Or the cocoa flavored Vaseline DQ uses as a topping. Blenderized seaweed and powdered cheddar called Velveeta, etc.