Francesco Rivella, Creator of Nutella, Passes Away on Valentine’s Day at 97

Francesco Rivella, the Italian chemist hailed as the “father of Nutella,” passed away on February 14 at the age of 97. He was celebrated for creating the globally renowned hazelnut spread, which is enjoyed in many countries, including India.

Rivella started his career at 25 in 1952, working for an Italian chocolate and confectionery company, twelve years before Nutella was first introduced. He had earned his degree in bromatological chemistry from Turin before embarking on this journey.

Francesco Rivella’s Journey with Ferrero

Rivella eventually became a senior manager at Ferrero and worked with the company founder’s son Michele Ferrero, serving as his right-hand man. He improved upon the Giandujot paste, the first iteration of what later became Nutella which was a confection of chocolate and hazelnuts sold in 1946.

“The sweet paste of the first recipe was shaped into a loaf that could be sliced and spread on bread, named after a local carnival character,” read Nutella’s official website. The Giandujot was transformed into a creamy new product that was named SuperCrema in 1951.

It took over a decade to improve upon the recipe, leading to the first-ever jar of hazelnut and cocoa cream in 1964 – Nutella – which attained global prominence. It was first launched in Germany in 1965 and France in 1966.

From Nutella’s Global Popularity to Personal Passions

Nutella became so popular that February 5 is now known as World Nutella Day, after all Nutella lovers were called to unite by the Italian-American blogger Sara Rosso.

Nutella is made of seven ingredients, according to its website – sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, milk, cocoa, lecithin and vanillin.

After retiring, Rivella dedicated himself to fruit farming and the traditional Italian sport of pallapugno, as per reports. He is survived by three sons, a daughter and seven grandchildren. Rivella’s funeral was scheduled for Monday in Alba, where he lived after his retirement. Michele Ferrero, who took over the company from his father Pierre Ferrero, also died on the same day 10 years before Rivella’s demise.

The duo would travel the world together, tasting chocolates and confectionery, “not to copy them, but to make them better,” says Italian journalist Gigi Padovani in her book “Mondo Nutella (Nutella World)”.