5 facts about Nutella to remember as inventor, Francesco Rivella, passes away

The Italian chemist, Francesco Rivella, who has been dubbed the "Father of Nutella," passed away on February 14, 2025. According to several news outlets, including The New York Post, Rivella was 97 at the time of his death.

He helped develop the cocoa hazelnut spread that people across the world love consuming, whether on its own or with bread, ice cream, and a lot more. He was one of the people behind Nutella after he joined the Ferrero Group, which is Nutella's parent company.

Francesco Rivella, who was born in Barbaresco, Italy, in 1928, joined the Ferrero Corporation in 1952 when he was 25 years old. He worked closely with Michele Ferrero, the son of Ferrero's founder, Pietro Ferrero. According to CNBC, Rivella passed away exactly ten years after Michele's death on February 14, 2015.

Apart from the spread, the brand also has products like B-ready, &Go! Stick dips, biscuits, and all-new ice cream. This article will take a look at five facts about the beloved hazelnut spread.

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5 facts about Nutella to remember

1) First sale

The first jar of the famous cocoa hazelnut spread was sold by Pietro Ferrero, the founder of the confectionery and chocolatier company in Alba, Piedmont.

According to Essential Italy, today, one jar of the spread sells every 2.5 seconds. The publication also noted that the company sells enough of the spread every year, to circle the earth with it 1.8 times. The number of jars produced in a year is said to weigh the same as the Empire State Building.

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2) Hazelnut usage

Ferrero SpA reportedly uses a quarter of the world’s supply of hazelnuts to produce the spread. One jar of the spread is said to use around 50 hazelnuts.

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3) The main ingredient isn’t hazelnut or chocolate

Surprisingly, the main ingredient in the spread is neither hazelnut nor chocolate – it is sugar. Each tablespoon of the spread reportedly has 100 calories.

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4) Shocking heist

According to Essential Italy, in 2017, thieves in Germany stole 20 tonnes of the spread. They managed to run off with the product with the refrigerated trailer it was stored in. However, this wasn’t the first the spread was stolen, a similar heist in 2013 saw five tonnes of Nutella stolen.

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5) World Nutella Day

World Nutella Day is celebrated on February 5 every year and it was launched by American blogger Sara Rosso in 2007 as a way to introduce her favorite spread to her friends. Today, the day is acknowledged and followed across the world.

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Francesco Rivella’s journey with Ferrero

Francesco Rivella started working with the Italian chocolate and confectionary company, Ferrero International in 1952. Rivella was only 25 years old when he joined Ferrero, right after he earned his degree in bromatological chemistry in Turin, Italy.

Nutella has been around for 60 years- Source: Getty

As per news agency Jam Press, Francesco Rivella worked in the brand’s “chemistry room,” where its most groundbreaking creations were invented. He, along with others, developed new products by studying raw materials and blending, refining, and tasting various ingredients to perfect flavors.

Francesco Rivella worked closely with Michele Ferrero, the son of Pietro Ferrero, who founded the namesake brand in 1946. While Michele Ferrero took over the family business from his father, Francesco Rivella served as his right-hand man.

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Nutella's birth and history

According to the brand's official website, the first iteration of the famous spread was made in 1946 and was initially called Giandujot. According to the spread's official website, the first recipe used a "sweet paste" that was "shaped into a loaf that could be sliced" before it was spread on bread. It notes that the recipe and the creation was named after a "local carnival character.”

By 1951, the hazelnut treat had a new name, SuperCrema, and according to the official website, the "Giandujot" paste was "transformed into a creamy new product" that could be spread easily.

As per the brand’s official website, the first-ever jar of the beloved hazelnut and cocoa cream spread was created in 1964. It was given the name "Nutella" after Ferrero worked on improving the recipe using seven ingredients, including sugar, hazelnuts, palm oil, cocoa, milk, lecithin, and vanillin.