The inventor of Nutella has died aged 97.
Ferrero chemist Francesco Rivella passed away on Friday (14 Feb).
He died just days before the tenth anniversary of the passing of Ferrero founder Michele Ferrero.
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Dubbed the “father of Nutella” by Italian media, Rivella helped create the world’s most famous hazelnut spread.
Born in Barbaresco, he began working at Ferrero in 1952, before it became a multinational powerhouse.
He was 25 and was fresh from earning his degree in bromatological chemistry in Turin.
Rivella worked in Ferrero’s “chemistry room”, where some of the brand’s most iconic creations were born.
He was part of the team responsible for studying raw materials to develop new products.
They blended, refined, and tasted ingredients in pursuit of the perfect flavours.
Over his long career, Rivella became a senior manager within the company.
He was Michele Ferrero’s right-hand man and the two worked together closely.
Journalist Gigi Padovani recalled in his book “Mondo Nutella (Nutella World)” that the pair travelled the world to buy sweets “not to copy them, but to make them better”.
Rivella was a friend of the Italian-Jewish writer, chemist, and Holocaust survivor Primo Levi.
He also served as president of the Order of Chemists of Piedmont, as reported by Need To Know.
After retiring, he lived in Alba, where he dedicated himself to fruit farming and the traditional ball game pallapugno.
Rivella was a widower but left behind three sons, a daughter, and seven grandchildren.
His funeral will be held today (17 Feb) in Alba, where he lived, and he will be laid to rest in Barbaresco.
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