People are only just realising why the N on Nutella logo is black after its creator died aged 97

Nutella fans have been blown away after discovering why the "N" in the chocolate and hazelnut spread's logo is black - after its creator died aged 97 on Valentine's Day. Francesco Rivella, dubbed the 'Father of Nutella,' passed away on 14 February, just days shy of a decade since Ferrero founder Michele Ferrero's death.

As Ferrero's right-hand man, the pair travelled the globe to find the perfect ingredients for their pioneering chocolate brand. Dr Rivella is credited with helping the Alba-based brand grow into an international sensation, innovating products from its Wonka-esque chocolate 'Chemistry Room.'.

The chemist is said to have had an instrumental role in the creation of Nutella, and is credited with coming up with the name of the world-famous chocolate hazelnut spread. However, many fans have just realised why Dr Rivella opted to keep "N" in the typography black while the rest of the letters were coloured red.

In light of the inventor's death, one Nutella fanatic, who goes by @thankyou_payme, took to X to vent their frustration over the 'mystery' behind the logo. Retweeting a death notice of Dr Rivella in the post, the person exclaimed: 'NOOOOOO I wanted to ask him why the N is black.'.

Nutella fans have been blown away after discovering why the "N" in the logo is black - after its creator died aged 97 on Valentine's Day (stock image). Francesco Rivella (pictured), dubbed the 'Father of Nutella,' passed away on 14 February , just days shy of a decade since Ferrero founder Michele Ferrero's death.

In response, one person wrote: 'Tragic loss, but now we may never uncover the great Nutella typography conspiracy - gone before his secrets could be spilled.'. Upon being notified of the colour difference for the first time, one person said, 'Wait how have I just noticed that,' while another commented, 'Never noticed this until now.'.

Meanwhile, hundreds of fans were prompted to share their own theories behind the logo, with one writing: 'Maybe the ink wasn't enough to be red.'. Another mused: 'The N in Nutella is black to emphasise "nut," highlighting its hazelnut content. 'The contrast with red is supposed to make the logo more memorable.'.

However, one fan, named @cherryhugs95, suggested the design came as a result of 'trademark issues.'. They added: 'This was the name of another brand originally so they changed it up to avoid copyright.'. It appears the fan was right, as according to both Startup Talky and Logos-World, when Nutella first hit the market, a company with the same name had already existed.

Many fans have just realised why Dr Rivella opted to keep "N" in the typography black while the rest of the letters were coloured red. To solve potential trademark issues, Ferrero decided to keep "N" in the logo black while the rest of letters were coloured red.

This helped distinguish its appearance and make the logo unique, while protecting the company's trademark, with the black "N" soon becoming a notable part of the Nutella brand. Meanwhile, a woman who stumbled across a jar of Nutella in her sister's bedroom massively regretted wolfing it down after she discovered what it had been used for.