The Italian chemist Francesco Rivella dies at 97, one of Nutella’s creators

Sad news for chocolate lovers. The Italian chemist Francesco Rivella has died this Friday at 97 years of age, As confirmed by the ‘Repubblica’ newspaper. He was a close collaborator of Michele Ferrero, a historic businessman who founded the confectionery group of the same name, and one of Nutella’s creators, the most famous cocoa cream.

Francesco Rivella entered the Alba factory with only 25 years, a young chemist with a trajectory still to forge within a company that wanted to be a reference in the sector of packaging sweets. The Ferrero Group, with snacks with registered trademarks such as Nutella, Kinder, ICT TAC or Ferrero Rocherhas achieved the international impulse thanks to the recipes of Rivella, among other creators who consecrated this famous chocolate firm. He was one of the important managers of the Ferrero Group as well as the intimate friend of Michele Ferrero.

Nutella emerged in 1946 after World War II Due to cocoa shortage, a very versatile product that was combined in a multitude of food, and that in times of war was difficult to achieve. Therefore, from an Italian pastry in Piedmont they decided to find a solution creating a sweet paste made mainly based on hazelnuts, sugar and a little cocoa. This creation was called Giandujotnamed in honor of a local carnival character, this paste could be molded in the form of a bar that could be cut and smeared in the bread. Thus was born the predecessor of what Nutella would be today.

Rivella, who retired in 1993, knew how to combine his facet as a chemist and businessman Within the Ferrero Group, after graduating in Chemistry at the University of Turin, he went to work in the Ferrero Group where he developed much of his career. He was entrusted with the task of a new recipe to compete with other chocolate brands, for 20 years he was deputy director of research by Ferrero supervising the laboratories of Italy, France and Germany. He was also responsible to inspect the start -up of the first two factories of the company in Germany and Normandy. For four decades, he witnessed and contributed to Ferrero’s growth, turned today into a large multinational.