Nutella maker decides not to stamp out World Nutella Day; 5 Nutella recipes

If you’re one of the many people who lived through college on jars of Nutella and a spoon, you’ll be happy to learn: World Nutella Day lives on.

Ferrero, maker of the chocolate-hazelnut spread, made a move that would have stamped out the Feb. 5 celebration. But on Tuesday, the company announced it would no longer try to stop the annual appreciation day for its product.

RECIPES: Cooking with Nutella -- 5 recipes

At the center of the controversy was Nutella fan Sara Rosso. The creator of the unofficial Nutella fan site NutellaDay.com, Rosso launched World Nutella Day in 2007. Her website is full of Nutella recipes, information on a book she wrote called “The Unofficial Guide to Nutella,” and instructions on how to participate in World Nutella Day.

Rosso received a cease-and-desist letter from Ferrero on May 6, the L.A. Times blog Money & Co. reported.

“The case arose from a routine brand defense procedure that was activated as a result of some misuse of the Nutella brand on the fan page,” Ferrero said in a statement.

Rosso posted the letter on her site, and Nutella fans quickly protested.

“Stupid company. The back-lash they’re going to get will be -- ahem -- nuts,” wrote Jacqui Garcia-Bowman on the World Nutella Day Facebook page. Robert Huffman followed with: “I wonder how many customers they’ll lose over this?”

According to a statement Rosso posted on NutellaDay.com, Ferrero employees reached out to her directly to resolve the situation.

“They were very gracious and supportive and we were able to have a productive discussion about World Nutella Day living on for the fans, which is the whole point,” wrote Rosso. “I’m satisfied with the turn of events, and I hope to celebrate many more World Nutella Days with you.”

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