29 Apr 2026 Ferrero brings Nutella production to the US with major investment
Ferrero is making a bold play in the US spreads market – including the first new flavour in its history!…
Ferrero is deepening its North American footprint with a move that marks two firsts for the iconic brand: Nutella’s first new flavour in its 62‑year history, and the first time a Nutella product will be manufactured on US soil.
The company has committed $75-million to expand its Franklin Park, Illinois facility, enabling production of the new Nutella Peanut spread — a launch designed to capture more eating occasions and strengthen the brand’s relevance in the world’s largest peanut‑consuming market.
The Franklin Park plant has long been a strategic asset for Ferrero, producing legacy brands such as Butterfinger and Baby Ruth since the 1960s. The new investment significantly boosts the site’s capabilities, allowing it to handle Nutella Peanut at scale.
Ferrero North America’s leadership describes the expansion as a signal of the company’s long‑term commitment to the region and its confidence in the continued growth of Nutella. The brand has only been in the US since 2009, but its rapid adoption — initially as a breakfast topping and now as an all‑day indulgence — has encouraged Ferrero to broaden its product formats and flavour range.
The introduction of a peanut‑flavoured variant is no accident. Peanuts dominate US nut consumption, accounting for 65% of all nuts eaten, with each American consuming roughly 3,6kg per year.
Nearly 60% of the country’s peanut crop goes into peanut butter, making the category a natural part of Nutella’s expansion strategy.
What Nutella Peanut means for the brand
Nutella Peanut is positioned to extend the brand beyond its traditional breakfast stronghold and into lunchboxes, snacking and evening treats. Ferrero has been steadily pushing Nutella into new formats — from portable packs to on‑the‑go snacks — and the peanut variant is expected to accelerate that shift.
The company emphasises that the new flavour is not a reformulation of the classic hazelnut spread but an addition to the portfolio. This approach protects the integrity of the flagship product while allowing Ferrero to compete more directly in the US peanut butter aisle, a category dominated by entrenched local brands.
A broader North American growth strategy
Ferrero’s US expansion is not limited to Nutella. The company has invested billions in acquisitions, R&D and manufacturing capacity in recent years, including the $3.1-billion purchase of WK Kellogg.
The Nutella Peanut investment fits into a wider strategy to localise production, shorten supply chains, and increase responsiveness to US consumer trends.
With Nutella Peanut rolling out from an American facility, Ferrero is signalling that the US market is no longer just a growth opportunity — it’s becoming a core manufacturing hub. It’s gearing Nutella for a bigger share of the US spreads category and is willing to invest heavily to get there.
Source: FoodDive.com