Francesco Rivella, the chemist behind the world-renowned hazelnut spread Nutella, has died at the age of 97.
Videos by Wide Open Country
According to multiple news sources, Francesco Rivella died on Valentine's Day, February 14. Per a report by Fox News, Rivella is dubbed the 'father of Nutella' by Italian media and had a hand in creating the most famous hazelnut spread on the planet.
Over a decade before Nutella was even a thing, Rivella began working at Ferrero, an Italian chocolate and sweets company, in 1952. Thanks to his experience as a chemist, Rivella reportedly worked in the Ferrero "chemistry room," where many sweets we still enjoy today were created. More specifically, Rivella was part of a team that studied raw materials and combined them to develop new products.
Rivella climbed the ranks of Ferrero, eventually landing a senior management position. He reportedly worked closely with Michele Ferrero. He took over the company when his father, Pietro Ferrero, passed away in 1949.
Nutella Had A Different Name When It Was First Made
Per a report by the New York Post, the spread that would eventually become Nutella was first called Giandujot. The name is a play on the word gianduja. World Wide Chocolate describes the product as a blend of chocolate and hazelnuts. Nutella proudly displays Giandujot as a part of their heritage, saying, "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." Ferrero released the product in 1946.
In 1951, Ferrero modified Giandujot, changing its name to SuperCrema. The new product was creamy and reportedly easier to spread than before. Finally, in 1964, Ferrero released Nutella. The product was launched in Germany in 1965 and France in 1966 before quickly releasing worldwide. The site also explains Nutella celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024.
According to the New York Post, Gigi Padovani, an Italian journalist, recalled that Francesco Rivella toured the world to buy sweets "not to copy them, but to make them better." Rivella is survived by his daughter, three sons, and seven grandchildren.
