Ricola

Ricola AG is a well known manufacturer of cough drops and breath mints in Switzerland. The company focuses primarily on using herbal ingredients.

History
The company was founded by Emil Wilhelm Richterich in 1930. Today 2007, it is managed by Felix Richterich. The company's name is an abbreviation of the words - Richterich & Compagnie Laufen. The headquarter of Ricola is located in the Swiss town Laufen.

Herbs
While the active ingredient in most Ricola products is menthol, an important part of Ricola products is the herb mixture. Sixteen herbs are mentioned on Ricola's U.S. website:


 * Elder (Sambucus nigra)
 * Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)
 * Mallow (Malva silvestris)
 * Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
 * Sage (Salvia officinalis)
 * Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
 * Cowslip (Primula veris)
 * Burnet (Pimpinella saxifraga)
 * Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
 * Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis)
 * Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
 * Speedwell, aka Veronica (Veronica officinalis)
 * Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
 * Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
 * Lemon Balm, aka Lemon Mint, Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
 * "Orange-Mint" (Mentha citrata)

Of these, the first thirteen are noted as Ricola's classic herbal mixture. Note also that while only ten herbs are listed on packages of Ricola cough drops sold in the U.S., two of these are not mentioned at all on Ricola's website. These are Linden Flowers and Wild Thyme.

Business culture
Ricola holds assets of 245 Million CHF (Swiss Francs) (2004) and employs 400 workers. Around 200 independent produce companies in the surrounding area service Ricola. In order to obtain enough herbs for the different production of herbal drops, the firm also owns five private herbal gardens in Zermatt, Kandersteg, Pontresina, and Nenzlingen.

Ricola are well-known for their commercials featuring mountaineers shouting "Ri-co-la!" and blowing through a large Alphorn.

Products
Ricola has various kinds of different products along with different flavors for each product.
 * Cough Drops
 * Original Herb
 * Honey Lemon with Echinacea
 * Orange Spice with Echinacea.


 * Sugar Free Cough Drops
 * Sugar Free Mountain Herb
 * Sugar Free Green Tea with Echinacea


 * Throat Drops
 * Lemon Mint
 * Cherry Honey
 * Honey Herb


 * Sugar Free Throat Drops
 * Sugar Free Lemon Mint
 * Sugar Free Cherry


 * Nature's Protection: contains daily value of Vitamin C
 * Cranberry
 * Elderberry
 * Orange Mint


 * Ricola Refreshers
 * Lemon Mint
 * Elderflower


 * Ricola Breath Mints
 * Spearmint
 * Peppermint
 * LemonMint

Ricola Herb Gardens
The company promotes natural earth gardens for cultivation in Swiss Mountain regions. These areas include: 
 * Nenzlingen
 * Trogberg
 * Kandersteg
 * Zermatt
 * Pontresina