Tons of Nutella stolen in food crime spree in Germany

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- What would you do with 5.5 tons of Nutella? Maybe the same thing you'd do with 34,000 cans of Red Bull or 5.5 tons of coffee.

Somewhere in Germany, there's a thief who knows the answer.

German police reported that 5,000 jars of the chocolate-hazelnut spread were stolen over the weekend from a former railway station in Niederaula. The jars of Nutella were valued at about $21,000.

It was just the latest in a string of food thefts in the same town.

In March, the police reported that 10 palettes of Eduscho brand German coffee were stolen from a truck trailer. They were valued at about $39,000. Last August, 20 palettes with more than 34,000 cans of Red Bull destined for the United States were stolen. That haul was valued at about $47,000.

But you don't have to go to Germany to find people eager to snatch up Nutella. The Columbia Spectator, the student newspaper at Columbia University in New York, reports that the cafeteria goes though up to 100 pounds a day of Nutella. At a cost of $5,000 a week, the school says some of it is stolen.

Vicki Dunn, executive director of dining services, told the paper that students are filling to-go cups with Nutella or even taking full jars with them.

Nutella is made by Ferrero U.S.A., which also makes Tic Tacs.