Nutella is the brand name for sweetened cocoa spread. It is popular for its creamy texture, rich chocolate taste and protein value. Nutella consists of skimmed milk, hazelnuts, cocoa and sugar.
It is known that cocoa and sugar have long shelf lives, but hazelnuts and milk have the limited shelf life, which contributes to the shelf life of Nutella. Of course, there are also some other ingredients in Nutella, such as modified palm oil, whey powder, vanillin and lecithin.
In this article you will find out more about the shelf life of Nutella. Also, we will show you how to store Nutella properly and how to tell if Nutella has gone bad. If you have an old jar of Nutella somewhere in your kitchen, you may have wondering is it still safe to use or you can get sick from eating it. Continue reading and you will find out.
What Is the Shelf Life of Nutella?
As we have said, sugar is one of the main ingredients in Nutella and it has pretty long shelf life. Also, it is known as a preservative, so it extends the shelf life of Nutella. If you are wondering whether Nutella can go bad, the answer is yes, but this process usually takes some time. The shelf life of Nutella depends on its sell by date and other factors. Nutella has always a sell by date that is a last date when a store should sell the Nutella.
The good news is that Nutella is still safe even after the sell by date, but it is recommended to eat Nutella within two months from that date, if the jar is not opened. If the jar of Nutella is opened, you should eat Nutella within about a month. In this period Nutella has the best quality, but it will be safe much longer. One of the most important factors of its shelf life is also how Nutella was stored.
How to Store Nutella Properly?
You should store Nutella in a dry and cool place, for example in the pantry. It is important to store Nutella away from light and heat. If you will eat Nutella in a week or two, you can also store it at room temperature. Also, the lid should be tightly closed on the jar of Nutella, in order to prevent the moisture and other contaminants to get into the jar and spoil Nutella.
You should also know that Nutella should never be kept in the fridge, because it may become hard, because it contains fats. It is known that nut fats may become too hard to spread if they are placed in cold temperatures. It is stated on the label that Nutella doesn’t need to be refrigerated, because none of its ingredients requires refrigeration.
Also, it is very important to use a clean spoon when you are scooping Nutella. This way contaminants won’t be able to get into your creamy spread. Also, it is important not to take Nutella with your fingers, because it can also cause contamination and your Nutella will go bad quickly.
How To Tell if Nutella Has Gone Bad?
Although Nutella has a pretty long shelf life, it goes bad after certain time, especially if you don’t store it properly. Nutella will certainly go bad if you store it in direct light or in warm conditions. Also, if Nutella is contaminated, it will spoil quickly. You may be wondering how to tell if Nutella has gone bad, but don’t worry. You will easily notice if your Nutella has spoiled. Actually, you will notice a change in texture and Nutella will become hard and dry. It will lose its creamy texture and softness.
Also, Nutella will lose its sweet taste and it will begin to smell rancid. If you notice some of these changes, then your Nutella has gone bad and you should toss it. Also, you should always have in mind that spoiled foods are associated with many health risks. But, sometimes Nutella will still be safe to use but it will lose a lot of the quality and the taste certainly won’t be the same. Then, it’s only your decision if you will use Nutella or you will discard it.
Conclusion
As you have seen by now, Nutella can go bad, especially if it was not stored properly. But, with the proper storage this delicious cocoa spread will be fine for a couple of months. Nutella is a favorite sandwich spread of many people and it never lasts long enough to reach the expiration date. But, if you are not sure that you will eat the whole jar of Nutella within a few months, we suggest you to buy a smaller jar of Nutella. Also, remember that Nutella should never be refrigerated.
