Is Nutella ethical and cruelty-free?
Not really — Nutella fails 3 of the 4 ethics signals we track, including its animal-testing position, and holds no third-party certification we can verify.
Nutella, the iconic hazelnut spread owned by Ferrero, is a global brand with a mixed ethical profile: while it has made strides in sustainable palm oil sourcing and packaging reductions, it lacks prominent third-party certifications and has faced scrutiny over ingredient sourcing, particularly palm oil and sugar, though no major recent controversies exist.
The evidence, signal by signal
Cruelty-freeflagged
Ferrero states it does not conduct animal testing on finished products unless required by local laws (e.g., in China), but ingredient suppliers may conduct tests.
Vegan optionsunverified
No vegan range; Nutella contains milk and is not suitable for vegans.
Sells in mainland Chinaflagged
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
Third-party certifiedflagged
No independent certifications recorded on the products we track.
Public pledges: 100% RSPO-certified palm oil, 50% emissions reduction by 2030, 100% recyclable packaging by 2025, and child labor monitoring in cocoa supply chain.
Scored with our public methodology. Profile last updated 2026-10-20.
More on Nutella
Is Nutella ethical? FAQs
Is Nutella cruelty-free?+
Ferrero states it does not conduct animal testing on finished products unless required by local laws (e.g., in China), but ingredient suppliers may conduct tests.
Does Nutella have vegan products?+
No vegan range; Nutella contains milk and is not suitable for vegans.
Does Nutella sell in mainland China?+
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
What is Nutella's ethics score?+
Nutella averages —/100 across 0 products we score on certifications, sourcing, labour, packaging and transparency.
What are the best alternatives to Nutella?+
See our full list of ethical alternatives to Nutella for better-scoring options in the same categories.