Ricola
Swiss confectionery and herbal wellness brand best known for its herb-based throat drops.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Ricola is a Swiss confectionery and herbal wellness brand whose best-known products are cough drops and throat lozenges made with a proprietary blend of herbs. The company traces its origins to 1930, when master baker Emil Wilhelm Richterich and Daniel Ruoss Sr. acquired a small bakery in Laufen, near Basel, and established Confiseriefabrik Richterich & Co. Laufen. The business initially produced conventional confectionery, including Fünfermocken, a caramel-like sweet. A decisive change came in 1940, when Richterich developed a herbal sweet based on a mixture of 13 herbs. That formula became the foundation of Ricola's identity and, in substantially similar form, remains associated with the brand. The sweets were not limited to direct consumption: during the 1950s, consumers also dissolved them in hot water to make an aromatic herbal drink. This usage helped lead to the development of Ricola herbal tea and broadened the company's position beyond ordinary candy. In 1967, Emil Richterich and his sons Hans Peter and Alfred renamed the company Ricola, an abbreviation derived from Richterich & Compagnie Laufen. The business expanded internationally during the 1970s, entering markets including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States. It later developed subsidiaries and distribution relationships in several countries and now exports to more than 50 markets across Europe, Asia and North America, according to company and reference materials. Ricola's product portfolio includes traditional and sugar-free herb drops, cough and throat products, filled candies in selected markets, breath mints, instant tea and tea bags. The company also sells products formulated with ingredients such as essential oils, natural flavorings, vitamin C and, in some markets, steviol glycosides. Formulas and sweeteners vary by country. The classic herb blend is associated with plants such as elder, horehound, mallow, peppermint, sage, thyme, cowslip, burnet, yarrow, marsh mallow, lady's mantle, speedwell and ribwort plantain. Ricola states that its herbs are grown by contracted farms in Swiss regions including Valais, Emmental, Val Poschiavo, the Jura foothills and Ticino, under organic or Bio Suisse-related cultivation requirements. Manufacturing remains centered in Laufen. The company opened a modern candy factory there in 2006 and added a distinctive herb-processing center in 2014. The latter was designed by Herzog & de Meuron with clay-building specialist Martin Rauch and has been described as Europe's largest clay building. Ricola also operates public herb gardens and, with Arosa Tourism, opened an educational Ricola Experience Trail in 2021. The company remains a family-owned enterprise under the Richterich family, while day-to-day operations have increasingly been assigned to professional managers outside the owning family. Felix Richterich serves as chair of the board, and Thomas P. Meier became chief executive in 2019. The brand's communications are strongly associated with Swiss identity, alpine herbs, humor and the long-running shouted name jingle. Its international advertising has included the “Who invented it?” campaign, the “Chrüterchraft” platform, “Wish you Well” and “Just take Ricola.” Ricola was certified as a B Corporation in December 2023, adding a formal social and environmental assessment to its sustainability positioning.
History
Ricola's history began in 1930 in Laufen, Switzerland, when master baker Emil Wilhelm Richterich and Daniel Ruoss Sr. bought a small bakery and created Confiseriefabrik Richterich & Co. Laufen. Richterich developed the company from a local bakery into a confectionery producer, initially making sweets such as Fünfermocken. In 1940, Richterich experimented with herbs and created a Swiss herbal sweet containing a blend of 13 plants. This product established the distinctive formula and category that would later define Ricola. The sweet acquired a second use in the 1950s, when consumers dissolved it in boiling water to prepare a herbal drink. The practice encouraged the company to develop herbal tea products and helped connect the brand with both confectionery and traditional herbal consumption. Emil Richterich and his sons Hans Peter and Alfred adopted the Ricola name in 1967. The name was formed from Richterich & Compagnie Laufen and provided a shorter identity for international expansion. During the 1970s, Ricola began exporting to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States. At the end of that decade, it moved into a purpose-built factory near Laufen, which remains the center of its production and headquarters operations. Ricola introduced Switzerland's first chewable sugarless herbal sweet in 1976 after extensive product research. The timing aligned with growing consumer concern about dental hygiene and helped the company build a sugar-free segment. Television advertising began in the 1980s, while the brand's recognizable name jingle became a recurring element of its communications. The company began working with Swiss farmers on herb cultivation according to Bio Suisse standards in 1985. Its supply network later expanded to more than 100 independently managed farms in several Swiss regions. Ricola says that these farms cultivate herbs without pesticides, insecticides or herbicides and away from industrial and major road pollution sources. The company also developed public herb gardens to explain its botanical heritage, although those display gardens are separate from the commercial herb-growing areas. Distribution and corporate development continued internationally. Klosterfrau Healthcare Group took responsibility for German distribution in 1987; in 2019, German sales moved to CFP Brands, a joint venture in which Ricola participated. Ricola acquired confectionery producer Disch in 1993. Disch's Sportmint and Mocken brands became part of the broader Ricola portfolio, although the business was sold to Alrupa Finanz Holding in 2015. A modern candy factory opened in Laufen in 2006. In 2014, Ricola added the Kräuterzentrum, an architecturally distinctive herb-processing building developed by Martin Rauch and Herzog & de Meuron. The facility's clay construction became part of Ricola's visual association with natural materials and Swiss production. The business remained controlled by the Richterich family while governance moved toward a combination of family ownership and non-family operational management. Felix Richterich became managing director in late 2011 in addition to his board role, and Thomas P. Meier replaced him as chief executive in May 2019. Family representatives continued to hold board positions, including Raphael Richterich, who joined the Ricola Group AG board in 2018 and became vice president in 2019. Eva Richterich left operational group management at the end of 2020 and focused on a strategic role within the family's holding structure. Ricola's modern brand development has combined Swiss provenance with international advertising. Its “Who invented it?” commercials, first aired in 1998, used humorous alpine imagery and the shouted brand name. From 2013, the company promoted “Chrüterchraft,” a Swiss-German expression emphasizing herbal power. “Wish you Well” followed from 2018, and “Just take Ricola” replaced it in autumn 2021 across Europe. In 2021, Ricola and Arosa Tourism opened a three-kilometer educational trail with interactive stations about herbs, bees, biodiversity and candy production. The company opened its first Paris shop in 2022 and a Laufen shop in 2023. In 2023, it announced a sustainable sugar-beet partnership with IP-SUISSE and obtained B Corp certification. Ricola is currently an active private company exporting its products across Europe, Asia and North America.
- 2023
B Corp certification and sugar-beet partnership
[1]Ricola became B Corp certified and agreed a long-term sustainable sugar-beet cultivation partnership with IP-SUISSE.
- 2022
First Ricola shop opens in Paris
[1]The company opened a Paris retail experience where visitors could create customized sweets.
- 2021
Ricola Experience Trail opens in Arosa
[1]Ricola and Arosa Tourism opened a three-kilometer educational trail focused on herbs, biodiversity and the brand's production heritage.
- 2019
Thomas P. Meier becomes CEO
[1]Thomas P. Meier replaced Felix Richterich as chief executive, completing a shift to non-family operational management.
- 2014
Kräuterzentrum opens
[1]Ricola opened a purpose-built herb center in Laufen designed by Herzog & de Meuron with Martin Rauch.
- 2006
Modern Laufen candy factory opens
[1]The company commissioned a modern candy manufacturing facility at its Swiss home base.
- 1993
Disch acquired
[1]Ricola acquired confectionery producer Disch, whose Sportmint and Mocken brands became associated with the portfolio.
- 1985
Swiss herb-farming cooperation begins
[1]Ricola began cooperating with Swiss farmers on herb cultivation aligned with Bio Suisse standards.
- 1976
Sugar-free herbal sweet launched
[1]Ricola introduced Switzerland's first chewable sugarless herbal sweet.
- 1970
International exporting begins
[1]Ricola began entering foreign markets, including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States.
Products and positioning
Swiss-origin herbal confectionery combining alpine botanical ingredients, soothing functionality, natural cultivation and everyday enjoyment.
Herbal lozenges · 1940
Original Herb Drops
Ricola's signature hard candies are associated with the company's traditional blend of 13 Swiss-grown herbs. They are positioned as a combination of confectionery enjoyment and throat-refreshing functionality, with menthol and herbal flavor forming the characteristic taste profile. The formula and labeling can vary by market, but the original herb concept remains central to the brand.
Sugar-free confectionery · 1976
Sugar-Free Herb Drops
Ricola's sugar-free range was created after research into sugarless confectionery and first appeared in 1976. Depending on market and variant, products use sweeteners such as isomalt, aspartame or steviol glycosides. The range extends the brand's herbal positioning to consumers seeking reduced-sugar alternatives.
Herbal confectionery
Flavored Herbal Drops
The broader range includes flavors and formulas such as lemon balm, honey herbs, orange mint, herbs caramel, honey sage, echinacea honey lemon, cranberry, mixed berry, sage, elderflower, glacial mint, eucalyptus and calendula. Product availability is tailored by country, and some variants include essential oils, vitamin C or natural flavorings.
Filled confectionery
Filled Candies
Filled sweets are available in selected markets, particularly Germany and North America. They adapt Ricola's herb-centered flavor profile to a softer or filled candy format while retaining the broader brand association with herbal ingredients.
Tea · 1950
Ricola Herbal Tea
Ricola's tea products grew out of the practice of dissolving its herbal sweet in hot water during the 1950s. The portfolio includes instant tea and tea bags, extending the brand from lozenges into warm herbal beverages based on its botanical heritage.
Mints
Breath Mints
Breath mints broaden Ricola's use occasions beyond cough and throat care. The company also has links to the Sportmint brand through its former ownership of Disch, although specific assortments and ownership arrangements may differ by market.
Controversies
2022
U.S. lawsuit over Swiss-herb throat-relief impression
A plaintiff alleged that Ricola packaging implied that Swiss herbs themselves soothed sore throats, while arguing that menthol was the ingredient responsible for that effect. Ricola denied wrongdoing and said it had complied with applicable regulations. The case was dismissed in 2024 for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.
2019
Claims concerning artificial and non-herbal ingredients
A later U.S. class action alleged that ingredients including malic acid, aspartame, citric acid, sorbitol, ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate conflicted with natural-oriented product claims. In November 2019, two claims were dismissed while two were allowed to proceed at that stage.
2015
Class action over natural-labeling claims
A U.S. class action alleged that ingredients including ascorbic, citric and malic acids were industrially synthesized despite packaging language such as “Naturally Soothing.” The action was withdrawn without explanation in January 2016.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Just take Ricola
Europe
The campaign highlighted alpine herbs, Swiss origins, the balance of enjoyment and functionality, and Ricola's characteristic humor. It was accompanied by packaging and logo revisions.
Outcome. Became the principal European advertising platform after replacing “Wish you Well.”
- 2018Wish you Well
International
Ricola launched “Wish you Well” as an international advertising platform for its everyday throat and herbal products.
Outcome. Ran until the brand's European campaign change in 2021.
- 2013Chrüterchraft
International
The campaign used the Swiss-German expression “Chrüterchraft,” or herbal power, to connect the product's herbs, Swiss provenance, perceived effect and taste.
Outcome. Reframed the brand around a compact expression of Swiss herbal heritage.
- 1998Who invented it?
International
The humorous “Who invented it?” campaign used Swiss-alpine imagery and actors announcing the brand name. Commercials were filmed in locations including Finland, Australia, England, Mexico, China, Brazil and Greenland.
Outcome. Strengthened Ricola's humorous Swiss-origin identity across export markets.
- 1980Ricola name jingle
Switzerland · International
Ricola introduced the characteristic drawn-out sung pronunciation of its name, often presented through alpine settings and characters calling “Ricola.” The audio device became one of the brand's most recognizable advertising assets.
Outcome. Established long-term brand recognition.
Brand decisions
2023
Sustainable sugar-beet sourcing partnershipStrategyBackground
Ricola sought to reinforce agricultural sustainability in a key confectionery input.
Action taken
Ricola and IP-SUISSE agreed a long-term partnership for sugar beets cultivated without fungicides, insecticides or herbicides.
Aftermath
The agreement supported Ricola's sustainability positioning and Swiss agricultural supply chain.
2023
B Corp certificationStrategyBackground
The private company sought external recognition of its social and environmental practices.
Action taken
Ricola obtained certification from the nonprofit B Lab as a B Corporation.
Aftermath
The certification added an independently assessed sustainability credential to the brand's corporate profile.
2021
Adoption of the “Just take Ricola” platformOtherBackground
Ricola sought to focus international communications on alpine herbs, Swiss origin, product functionality, enjoyment and humor.
Action taken
The company replaced “Wish you Well” in Europe with “Just take Ricola” and updated packaging and visual identity.
Aftermath
The campaign became the brand's principal European advertising platform.
2019
Operational leadership transferred to Thomas P. MeierOtherBackground
Ricola remained family-owned, but the company sought to place operational management in the hands of non-family executives.
Action taken
Thomas P. Meier replaced Felix Richterich as chief executive.
Aftermath
Family ownership and board participation continued while day-to-day management became professionally led.
1976
Launch of sugar-free herbal sweetsProduct launchBackground
Research into sugarless confectionery coincided with growing consumer attention to dental health.
Action taken
Ricola introduced a chewable sugar-free herbal sweet.
Aftermath
The product established an enduring sugar-free segment within the portfolio.
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