The Ricola Story

In the summer of 1940, Emil Richterich first blended the recipe for the original herb drop with the 13 Ricola herbs. In the more than 70 years from those early beginnings to the present day lies the story of commercial achievement, a successful family, and of course the Ricola Swiss original herb drop that represents Swiss quality worldwide.

The history of the Swiss family company dates back even earlier in the 20th century. In 1930, master baker Emil Richterich founded the company, Richterich und Co., in Laufen his home town, from which Ricola later derived its name. It was when he created the famous blend of 13 herbs for the Ricola original herb drops in 1940 that Emil Richterich established the basis for the company’s subsequent global success.

Ricola is committed to uncompromising quality standards in all areas of the company. High-quality ingredients are a top priority for Ricola. This includes gentle processing methods to produce the different herb specialties. Herbs are therefore cultivated in the Swiss mountains using environmentally friendly methods. Ricola herbs are carefully harvested when the aromatic and active substances are at their peak.

Ricola experts even check quality in the open fields. From harvest to drying and right through the various processing stages, several rigorous quality controls guarantee that Ricola herbs are at their purest. At our headquarters in Laufen the herbs undergo their final quality control tests. Only when the impeccable quality of the Ricola herbs is finally confirmed are they processed using specially developed gentle production methods. This ensures that the natural herb essences and active substances contained in every single Ricola product are preserved. And our commitment doesn’t stop there; Ricola also pays great attention to the quality of its other basic ingredients and uses no artificial colorings or flavorings.