France's Minister of Ecology Ségolène Royal has urged the public to stop eating Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread, saying it contributes to deforestation.
"We have to replant a lot of trees because there is massive deforestation that also leads to global warming. We should stop eating Nutella, for example, because it's made with palm oil," Ms Royal said.
"Oil palms have replaced trees, and therefore caused considerable damage to the environment," she added.
She said Nutella should be made from "other ingredients".
Ms Royal made the comments during an interview with French television network Canal+ yesterday.
Her comments seem to have angered Ferrero, the Italian chocolate group that makes Nutella.
Without referring to Ms Royal directly, the company issued a statement saying it was aware of the environmental stakes and had made commitments to source palm oil in a responsible manner.
Ferrero sources almost 80% of its palm oil from Malaysia. The rest of its supply comes from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Brazil.
Two years ago, French senators tried to impose a 300% tax on palm oil, saying it was dangerously fattening and its cultivation was bad for the environment.
The measure was defeated.
