Nutella, a Made in Italy icon, turns 60.

Nutella, the Italian chocolate-hazelnut spread, on Saturday celebrates 60 years since it launched on the market in Italy on 20 April 1964.

Six decades later Ferrero, the Italian confectionary giant behind the iconic brand, each year produces half a million tons of the hugely popular spread which is sold in 170 countries around the world.

Origins of Nutella

The Made in Italy success story goes back to post-war Italy when cocoa was a scarce commodity.

Ferrero, founded as a pastry shop in Alba, northern Italy, responded to the cocoa shortage by creating a sweet paste made from hazelnuts, sugar and a small quantity of cocoa.

This sweet-tasting concoction, named Giandujot, was originally sold as a solid block before being modified into the spreadable Nutella we know today.

Global sensation

In the decades since, Nutella has become a global sensation, and in 2019 the hugely-successful Nutella biscuits were launched.

Nutella has long been the subject of controversy over its constituent ingredient: palm oil.

However the company, which also make Ferrero Roche sweets, insists that it only uses 100 per cent certified, sustainable palm oil which is kept apart from conventional palm oil throughout the supply chain.

In 2014 Italy marked the 50th anniversary of Nutella with a commemorative postage stamp and in 2021 Italy launched a limited-edition €5 coin in honour of Nutella.

World Nutella Day

The spread is also celebrated internationally each year on 5 February with World Nutella Day, created in 2007 by the American blogger Sara Rosso for Nutella fans to share their photos, videos and recipes on social media.

Photo credit: margouillat photo / Shutterstock.com.