Fratelli Riva - tradition, innovation and passion in cured meat production

Salumificio Fratelli Riva was founded in Molteno, in the green region of Brianza, at the foothills of the Lombardy Alps, by brothers Umberto and Luciano Riva.

After spending several years working as employees, shop assistants, and delicatessen workers, they decided to start their own business and produce meat and sausages for their mother Maddalena’s shop.

As demand grew, Fratelli Riva inaugurated a full-cycle slaughterhouse in 1969 on Via Mazzini, capable of processing 150 pigs per week. At that time, meat processing covered all stages, from slaughtering to the production of a wide range of products, including coppa, pancetta, salami, bresaola, and prosciutto cotto.
Ham soon became the company’s flagship product. Initially produced for direct sales, it quickly gained popularity, leading to demand from other local shops and wholesalers.

Over the years, the company underwent significant transformations. In the early 1990s, Fratelli Riva made a strategic decision to specialize: it abandoned slaughtering operations and focused entirely on producing cooked ham, which became a leading product in the Italian market. By then, production at the original factory had already reached an impressive volume of 11,000 hams per week.
During the same period, the company took another major step by starting to supply GD and GDO retailers in a dedicated and continuous manner, with the support of Mr. Caprioli, who is now a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

In 1996, Fratelli Riva moved into a new production plant, also located in Molteno, on Via Rossini 10. This facility, which housed the entire production process, introduced numerous logistical and technological innovations, making it a highly integrated and technologically advanced model of efficiency.
The new facility was designed to optimize information and material flows, ensuring a streamlined production process for cooked ham. This allowed for constant monitoring of the production cycle and, consequently, a consistently high-quality product. At that time, the company’s weekly output reached approximately 30,000 hams.

In early 2007, the plant underwent further expansion with the addition of a new area dedicated to the production of specialty cooked hams intended for slicing.
In 2010, a corporate restructuring took place, and Luciano transferred ownership of the company to Umberto and his children: Chiara, Letizia, and Giuseppe.

In recent years, Fratelli Riva has continued to invest in innovation and research. Today, the company processes approximately 50,000 pork legs per week. Traditional products such as bresaola and salami have been further refined, while new offerings, such as porchetta, have been introduced.
The company has always sought to integrate cutting-edge technologies while maintaining the authenticity of traditional recipes. For example, the brine that gives Fratelli Riva’s cooked ham its delicate flavor is still obtained through natural flavor infusion. The company’s salami follows the traditional Brianza style—sweet and refined—recently reintroduced to GD and GDO markets with great success.

The essence of Fratelli Riva is encapsulated in its guiding principle: "Passion for tradition and trust in innovation."

We take pride in being a strong partner for private label production. Our standard production ensures the best value for money while prioritizing rigorous quality control at every stage, excellent production capacity, and maximum flexibility.
Today, we produce a wide range of whole and sliced products for many of the most important Italian and international distribution groups.

We firmly believe that successful relationships with distributors are built on collaboration. Industrial producers recognize the significant marketing expertise of distributors, who gain valuable insights through their daily operations. In this spirit of partnership, a product’s success depends not only on the distributor’s marketing strategy but also on the manufacturer’s ability to provide outstanding service.

With over 40 years of experience, we offer both branded products and what we define as "confidential fantasy brands", ensuring that even the most discerning customers who seek to stand out in the market are fully satisfied.