Italian biscuit-maker Barilla is taking on the might of Ferraro’s Nutella with its own ‘healthier’ and more 'ethical’ chocolate and hazelnut spread. It's a daunting challenge in Italy where Nutella has 88 percent of the market. The new Pan di Stelle chocolate and hazelnut spread is named after Barilla's highly popular chocolate biscuits, which are scattered with tiny white stars.

The new product will be launched in January, crucially without palm oil as an ingredient, the company said in a press release. Nutella is regularly attacked for its use of potentially environmentally destructive palm oil, although environment groups including the WWF and Greenpeace have said Ferrero's supply chain is sustainable. Nevertheless, right now Nutella has almost total control of the Italian market and dominates 54 percent of the world market.