Nutella is made without any gluten-containing ingredients and is considered safe for people with celiac disease. Ferrero, the company that makes Nutella, confirms on its website that the spread is gluten free. However, there are important nuances worth knowing, especially around labeling, certification, and other Nutella-branded products that are not safe.
What’s Actually in Nutella
Nutella contains just seven ingredients: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, lecithin (soy), and vanillin. None of these are gluten sources, and the jar carries no allergen warnings for wheat or gluten. The recipe is the same worldwide. Whether you buy Nutella in the United States, Italy, or the UK, the ingredient list is practically identical. The only difference is that European labels list specific percentages for hazelnuts (13%) and milk (5%), while the American version does not.
Why It’s Not Labeled “Gluten Free”
Despite containing no gluten ingredients, Nutella does not carry a “gluten free” label on the jar. It also has no certification from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), which independently verifies products test below 10 parts per million of gluten. This doesn’t necessarily mean gluten is present. Many manufacturers choose not to pursue gluten-free labeling or certification for business or legal reasons, even when their products contain no gluten ingredients. In the United States, a product must test below 20 parts per million of gluten to use a “gluten free” label under FDA rules.
For most people with celiac disease, Nutella’s ingredient list and lack of wheat allergen warnings provide enough confidence. If you’re someone who strictly relies on third-party certification before eating a product, Nutella doesn’t meet that bar.
Watch Out for Nutella & Go
This is where people get tripped up. Ferrero itself makes the distinction clear: the Nutella spread in the jar is gluten free, but Nutella & Go is not. The snack packs come with breadsticks or pretzels made from wheat flour, which contain gluten. Even if you only plan to eat the chocolate-hazelnut spread from the cup and skip the breadsticks, the product is packaged together and cross-contact within the container is likely.
Other Nutella-branded products like Nutella B-ready, which features a wafer shell, also contain wheat and are not safe for people with celiac disease. Stick to the standard jar of Nutella spread if you need to avoid gluten.
Cross-Contamination Risk
Because Nutella is not certified gluten free and Ferrero does not publicly detail its manufacturing line protocols, there is no independent verification that cross-contact with gluten doesn’t occur during production. That said, the absence of any wheat or gluten allergen advisory on the label suggests Ferrero has assessed its production process and determined the risk is low enough not to warrant a warning. Under U.S. and EU food labeling laws, manufacturers are required to disclose major allergens, including wheat.
For the vast majority of people with celiac disease, the standard jar of Nutella is a safe choice. The ingredients are naturally gluten free, the recipe is consistent across markets, and the manufacturer explicitly states the spread is gluten free. Just be sure you’re reaching for the jar, not one of the snack packs.