Nutella has changed its recipe to make it sweeter and lighter... and people are not happy

Nutella fans are outraged after it was revealed the recipe for the chocolate spread is changing – making it lighter and sweeter.

The makers of the popular spread, Italian food company Ferrero, admitted it is adjusting the recipe after the slight changes were noticed by German consumer group Hamburg Consumer Protection Centre.

The new recipe contains 8.7 per cent powdered skimmed milk, compared with the previous quantity of 7.5 per cent. And sugar content has risen from 55.9 per cent to 56.3 per cent.

Furious Nutella lovers took to Twitter to hit back at the changes using the hashtag #boycottNutella.

One wrote: “If the rumours of #Nutella changing their recipe are true, I am boycotting them.”

And another suggested the company "should be reducing sugar content in this day and age".

A furious fan said a sweeter and less cocoa-flavoured version of the spread would be "revolting".

Ferrerro released a statement confirmed the changes had had been made but said the “the quality... and all other aspects of Nutella remain the same.”