WASHINGTON — A hazelnut shortage could translate to changes when it comes to the popular chocolaty spread, Nutella.
More than 70 percent of the world’s hazelnuts are produced in Turkey, which has been hit by hailstorms and frosts. The weather has impacted the hazelnut harvest and increased the price to the highest it has been in about 10 years, according to The Huffington Post.
The people behind Nutella, which uses more than 50 hazelnuts per 13-ounce jar, are working to make sure consumers don’t notice any differences in the sweet treat.
Nutella’s parent company, Ferrero, purchased a large Turkish hazelnut supplier so it could shore up its supply of the nut. Ferrero buys about a quarter of the world’s hazelnuts, The Huffington Post reports.
“Inclement weather last spring in Turkey has impacted this year’s hazelnut harvest,” a Ferrero USA spokesperson wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. “We are tracking this issue closely and there’s no foreseeable impact on the availability of Nutella.”
Nutella says the popularity of the product has grown steadily over the years. It’s now the No. 1 selling branded hazelnut spread in America, according to its website.
This isn’t the first food shortage that has rattled consumers. Earlier this year, a lime shortage rocked some businesses that couldn’t keep up with the rising prices.
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