Sweet-toothed students at Columbia University are costing the institution $5,000 a week because of their insatiable craving for Nutella.
Since the prestigious Ivy League school added the chocolate hazelnut spread to its menu last month administrators have noticed widespread Nutella thievery, with students sneaking entire jars back to their dorm rooms.
The sugary snack is in such high demand that the school's cafeterias are getting through 100 pounds of Nutella a day.
If this rate continues, the student newspaper estimates that the spread will cost the university $250,000 each academic year.
"Students have been filling cups of Nutella to-go in Ferris Booth Commons and taking the full jars out of John Jay, which means we’re going through product faster than anticipated," executive director of dining services Vicki Dunn told the Columbia Spectator.
The two cafeterias serve up to 5,600 students a day, with each student paying $2,363 per semester (or $4,726 per year) for a meal plan.
“When you’re paying that much for a dining plan, some people feel a bit more entitled to taking things from the dining hall,” student council representative Peter Bailinson said.
“But what they don’t realize is that dining uses any extra money to get awesome new items like Nutella, almond butter, and to make structural changes like the JJ’s renovation.”
Sugar-loving students better watch out for the dreaded 'Freshman15' - a single tablespoon of Nutella contains 100 calories, of which 54 come from fat.
This small serving takes approximately 28 minutes of walking, 11 minutes of jogging, or 15 minutes of cycling to burn off, according to the Calorie King website.
Nutella thieves, take note.
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