Woman Noticed Something Odd Inside Her Nutella — Then She Took a Closer Look at The Label

Water and oil are like uninterested lovers- distant, detached, and aloof when left together. So in the late eighties, some chemical scientists invented a tool to repair their disengaged relationship. That is, an emulsifier. An emulsifier embodies the rare quality of “wholeness.” Each emulsifying molecule features two parts: one water-loving and the other water-hating, per the Institute of Food Sciences. While the water-loving side lends the force of attraction to their relationship, the water-hating side imparts a distancing force, thereby stabilizing the marriage of oil and water.

Snack manufacturers often add emulsifiers to candies, butters, chocolates, and spreads to prevent the oils and waters inside from separating. A woman, who goes by the moniker u/biancanevenc, was unaware of this remarkable science till August 2023, when she bought a soda and a pack of Nutella & Go! She tore open the pack, dipped the sticks in the chocolate butter, and relished it. But then, a packaging label at the back of the pack caught her attention and left her startled.  

“When I opened it, I noticed the Nutella was starting to separate, so I checked the best by date,” she wrote in the Reddit post, also sharing a screengrab of the Nutella pack that featured the “Best by date” of July 05, 2023. In a comment, she described that she had already eaten the breadsticks and the chocolate dip before reading the expiry date, and the snack tasted just as fine. “The breadsticks were a little stale, but the Nutella was fine once I stirred it. But now I know to always check the dates on the food at the checkout area,” the Reddit user said. She added that the realization didn’t cause her worry, just surprise. This isn’t the first time someone has found that the Nutella tasted fine long after the expiration date. 

In another Reddit post, a user u/justplainfunky shared that since they had a lot of Nutella in their house, they were not able to open all the boxes. They opened a Nutella jar in July 2024 while its packaging mentioned the best-by date of April 2024. “It looks and smells fine apart from some slight separation,” they described. In response, a person commented that, “Nutella is one of those things that could go years beyond the expiration date. It has so many components to make it long-lasting that just a quick stir to mix in the oils again is enough to make it taste new.” Seems like they’re saying it correctly. Nutella’s infamous chocolate dip consists of an emulsifier called “lecithin” apart from ingredients like sugar, palm oil, canola oil, hazelnuts, skimmed milk, cocoa powder, and artificial vanilla flavours.

 Lecithin, as Kerry Health & Nutrition Institute explains, possesses extremely strong emulsifying and antioxidant properties, which can increase the shelf life of products. Since the dip contains both oils and water, lecithin acts as a stabilizing agent and binding force for the molecules of oil and water. On the other hand, the antioxidants inside it prevent and slow down the oxidation of fats, which postpones spoilage and retains freshness. Lecithin, often used to modify the viscous composition and texture of products like candies, chocolates, mayonnaise, and ice creams, seems like the most plausible agent behind the long-lasting taste of Nutella’s chocolate dip; a matchmaker and reunification specialist all Nutella fans are proud of.