Hershey's takes aim at Nutella with new chocolate spread

American chocolate company Hershey's has put Nutella on notice with the launch of its own chocolate spread. Though the Italian brand owned by Ferrero has enjoyed a longstanding monopoly as the original chocolate hazelnut spread, the Pennsylvania-based Hershey Company has created a trio of its own products pitched as an indulgent pairing for everything from fruit, graham crackers, to the more bizarre celery and pickles. The Hershey's Spreads are available in chocolate, chocolate with almonds and, in a Nutella copycat, chocolate with hazelnuts. Interestingly, Hershey's is launching a new line of spreads not long after Nutella settled a class-action lawsuit filed by a California mom who lambasted the brand for misleading health claims The ad vaunted the benefits of its skim milk and hazelnut content. Though chocolate spreads are beginning to make inroads in the US, Nutella could be described as the peanut butter of France and a pantry staple -- until recently. In a bid to cut down on rates of obesity and the consumption of trans fats, France considered passing a law that would have quadrupled the tax on palm oil, the main ingredient in Nutella. Though the so-called ‘Nutella tax’ was eventually voted down, the news succeeded in raising awareness about the product’s lack of nutritional value.