SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 5, 2025 – SHERIDAN, WYOMING - September 25, 2025 -
For the third consecutive year, Sustainalytics has recognized Barry Callebaut as an industry leader in the management of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks in our supply chain. Our position in the top 3 once again confirms that we are consistently leading, not only in the chocolate and cocoa sector, but also in comparison to our peers in the broader food industry.
Our commitment to ESG - why are we leading?
At Barry Callebaut our values represent a mindset and way of doing business that is committed to generating sustainable earnings over time and creating long-term value for all stakeholders. We are dedicated to running all our operations with transparency and integrity, which includes reporting on our ESG management and risks. We always seek to understand issues of concern and respond accordingly, and we do not shy away from reporting on the challenges in our supply chain in order to make sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025, such as ending deforestation and eradicating child labor in our supply chain.
There are many stakeholders in the cocoa value chain. Regular dialogue with our stakeholders is critical to identify the key ESG issues our business faces and our approach to tackle these issues. This is why we conduct every three years a materiality assessment with stakeholders such as customers, farmer cooperatives, investors, media, governments, industry associations, multi-stakeholder initiatives, NGO's and our employees.
In addition, this year we hosted our first dedicated ESG Investor Roadshow with our CFO, Ben De Schryver, and Chief Innovation, Sustainability & Quality Officer, Global Head of Gourmet, Pablo Perversi, to present and discuss ESG topics with some of our interested investors.
What is Sustainalytics?
Sustainalytics is a leading company assessing the industry's efforts to manage the environmental, social and governance management risks in supply chains. Undertaking the assessment is in response to a growing interest from investors and societal stakeholders to understand whether sustainability strategies are managing supply chain risks and delivering impact. Participating annually in Sustainalytics provides a solid and well respected third-party assessment of our investments in sustainability.
Taryn Ridley
Working as External Affairs Manager in the Corporate Communications team of Barry Callebaut. Native Australian, but loves living in the land of the Toblerone. Passionate about a range of sports, nature and travelling.
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 5, 2025 – SHERIDAN, WYOMING - September 25, 2025 -
At Barry Callebaut, our mission is to make sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025. As part of our Forever Chocolate plan we have a commitment on all ingredients that go into our chocolate. This means taking into account the sustainability of every aspect of our supply chain, including coconuts. Coconut is a key ingredient in many of our products, which is why we decided to develop a coconut sustainability framework to drive change in this industry.
The sustainability challenges in coconut production
In recent years, there has been rapid growth of the global coconut market, paired with significant and yet untackled sustainability challenges. These include aging trees, natural disasters, complex value chains and producers lacking in market, finance and technical know-how. The result has been low quality produce, low income for producers and little incentive to improve practices across the board, despite a growing market.
A scorecard for success
Building on our work to improve traceability within our coconut supply chain, we joined forces with Nestlé and Proforest in 2020 to launch the Sustainable Coconut Supplier Scorecard and Sustainable Origins Assessment.
We are dedicated to achieving transparency and traceability in our supply chains, including in sourcing coconut as a raw material for our products. The supplier scorecard and origins assessment we are developing together with Barry Callebaut will enable us to fully understand current and future challenges in sourcing this raw material and to address gaps in sustainable coconut production. This set of tools will also be beneficial in creating an alignment among companies and defining a common framework to drive changes in the industry.
Madeleine Eilert, Sustainable Sourcing Lead for Coconut at Nestlé
The Sustainable Coconut Supplier Scorecard and Sustainable Origins Assessment will allow us to assess sustainability risks at the sourcing locations/origin countries of our coconut supply chain, set clear improvement targets and track performance over time. It will also help us enhance traceability by mapping out supply chain actors, and introduce a tangible incentive for suppliers and coconut origins to make improvements. By 2022, we intend to roll out this assessment with all of Barry Callebaut's coconut oil suppliers, in addition to our annual traceability assessment.
More broadly, we are inviting organizations active in the coconut industry to join us in signing the Sustainable Coconut Charter, thus transforming the ongoing development of sustainable practices in the coconut industry into a global movement.
The Sustainable Coconut Charter - a promising start
To address sustainability challenges in coconut production, we collaborated with USAID Green Invest Asia and industry and launched in November 2020 the Sustainable Coconut Charter, co-signed by industry leaders AAK, FrieslandCampina, Harmless Harvest, Nestlé and Unilever.
The Sustainable Coconut Charter is a first of its kind voluntary framework for companies in the coconut industry. It represents a collective commitment and a harmonized approach to making a difference to the planet, people and business.
Oliver von Hagen, Director of Sustainability Global Ingredients at Barry Callebaut Group
Since the launch of the Sustainable Coconut Charter, we have witnessed great momentum with over 40 companies, NGOs and other stakeholders expressing interest to align their approach toward sustainable coconut production.
Frank Keidel
Working as the Head of Media Relations in the Corporate Communications team of Barry Callebaut. Native Bavarian and naturalized Swiss, the father of three kids enjoys hiking and is passionate about architecture, camper vans and modern classic cars.
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 5, 2025 – SHERIDAN, WYOMING - September 25, 2025 -
We Are Family, the 1979 song by Sister Sledge, will make the perfect soundtrack to the Barry Callebaut Family story. The lyrics capture the spirit of family, entrepreneurism and optimism that's grown the business from a European dream to a global leader in 25 years:
Living life is fun and we've just begun
To get our share of this world's delight
High hopes we have for the future
And our goal is in sight
Patrick De Maeseneire, Chairman of Barry Callebaut
Every significant step in the company's 25-year existence bears the mark of family, beginning with the Jacobs dynasty in Bremen, Germany and currently extending to over 12,000 individuals across 40 countries around the world, who consider themselves members of the Barry Callebaut Family. At the very centre of this quarter-century milestone is the foresight and relentless passion of Klaus Jacobs (1936-2008), the man who dared to forge international connections around a love for chocolate. After all, who doesn't like good chocolate?
"Klaus was an entrepreneur, a risk-taker. He wasn't shy of taking risks," recounts Patrick De Maeseneire, who's been chairman of Barry Callebaut's Board of Directors since December 2016. As the company's CEO from 2002 to 2009, he's well acquainted with Klaus Jacobs' intention to pioneer Barry Callebaut as a leading chocolate outsourcing partner of local and multinational food companies. "It was his idea, and at that time, he was the only one in the B2B chocolate market who had that vision. He anticipated that other companies would no longer produce chocolate themselves because of the complicated, costly value chain and different recipes." This notion definitely paid off. Today, Barry Callebaut is proudly present in 1 out of 4 of the world's chocolate and cocoa products through its global brands.
How one man's vision created a sweet family
Clearly, Klaus Jacobs believed in a deliberate approach to international business. As a young man, he had spent years as an apprentice trader in South America. This experience undoubtedly broadened his perspective and perhaps even sparked his desire to take Barry Callebaut beyond its European birthplace. The creation of Jacobs Holding AG in the mid-1970s and eventual merger with Interfood S.A. of Lausanne, Switzerland in 1982 paved the way for Jacobs Suchard AG. Not only did this mark Klaus' turning point from family tradesman to European magnate, it gave him a taste of the global coffee and confectionery business. There was no turning back, even when certain acquisitions led to considerable losses. In Patrick's words, "He was willing to take risks and also 'pay for mistakes'. If something didn't work out, he would stop it or take another route like the true entrepreneur he was." Indeed, Klaus traded his shares in Jacob Suchard AG in 1990 to save it from drowning under debt, leaving him with the Callebaut industrial chocolate company and other businesses. There was no indication then that the Belgian-born chocolatier would join forces with Cacao Barry in France to become Barry Callebaut six years down the line, but the company's global presence is proof that Klaus saw far into the future even from the very beginning.
Klaus J. Jacobs Founder of Barry Callebaut
Klaus Jacobs went beyond Zurich to see people and to learn about the company.
For someone so focused on accomplishing the extraordinary, it is easy to assume that Klaus saw nothing but the "big picture". Yet the man Patrick remembers was one who took particular interest in the people and culture of Barry Callebaut. "Klaus always was in favour of small headquarters, so there were only a couple of levels between the CEO and management team and their other colleagues, just to keep that entrepreneurial spirit. Of course, the bigger the company became, the more difficult it was to keep that spirit, but he would always push that kind of family feeling. Klaus was somebody who went beyond Zurich to see people. He did it for a human touch to business, but he also did it to learn about the company. He was also very loyal to people who had been in the company for a long time and always defended them, because he really considered them as family. Klaus would invite them to his home or a restaurant for dinner. He was very close to the people of Barry Callebaut." Similar stories are told of the ambience he established at Jacob Suchard and Adecco.
That said, Klaus Jacobs was not easily influenced. Patrick remembers he was very tough to work with because he absolutely knew what he wanted. "Klaus was somebody you could have a good argument with, but he had very, very strong opinions." With a chuckle, he recollects how shortly after joining Barry Callebaut - and on his birthday no less - Klaus addressed him by the company's failing share price, saying, "115. I'm not happy." Asked what his target was, Patrick replied, "230". Indeed, there was far less pressure on him when his team met and exceeded this. "As soon as the share price was above the level he wanted it to be, he gave us a little bit more freedom but he closely followed the company. He left everyday leadership to the team, but he knew what was going on."
A noble legacy lives on
Beyond personal ambition and stock market performance, Klaus Jacobs applied a comparable level of purpose to establishing the Jacobs Foundation. He sincerely believed in youth development and backed his conviction with his wealth by donating half of his wealth to Jacobs Holding in the early '90s, with the aim of creating a reliable income stream for the foundation. "Klaus was the honorary chairman of the Scouts, and I remember he visited its general assembly in Belgium when I worked at Adecco. He was a true believer in youth development and in supporting the youth," Patrick explains. "The task and objective of the Jacobs Foundation is to support youngsters who do not have access to good education. Klaus' view was that everybody has a right to good education, that if everybody has good education it would be a different world. There would be more democracy, more development and the world would be a better place. That was his view, and it was very important to him that his foundation supported education on a global scale." Today, the Jacobs Foundation brings this dream to life through the Jacobs University in Bremen and across the world in West Africa, mainly in Cote d' Ivoire and Ghana. Since 2009, the annual Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize has also awarded outstanding scientific contributions that improve learning, development and living conditions of children and youth, from research on risk-taking behaviour of young people to promoting brain learning with action video games. Patrick affirms that "the 'why' of the Foundation is all about education; he believed that everybody had the right to a decent education. I'm sure he would be proud today also of what the Foundation is still accomplishing."
The task and objective of the Jacobs Foundation is to support youngsters who do not have access to good education
Patrick De Maeseneire with the winners of the 2019 Chairman's Award, initiated by Klaus Jacobs
What else would Klaus Jacobs be proud of when it comes to the BC Family? Patrick thinks the company's global expansion and continuous pursuit of innovation and entrepreneurship would make the list. "If you go back 20 years, even to the time I started work here, it was very much a European company. After the merger with Cacao Barry, the company became more international with impressive stakes in Africa, Asia and North America. Even considering cocoa traceability and sustainability today, we would not have the factories and the people on the ground all over the world if the merger had not happened. In 2002, we had 17 factories in total and today, we have over 60 production facilities globally. Looking at all the innovation of the last couple of years, like our Ruby chocolate, and the successful execution of the company's other pillars as its core strategy, I truly believe that this continuity has helped a lot to bring the company where it is today. A strategy or a vision without execution is hallucination, I say, and I think we have to be grateful for the 12,000 people who execute that strategy every day."
The Barry Callebaut Family has remained committed to being the "heart and engine" of the world's chocolate industry even in the face of a global pandemic. "To keep that engine going in the midst of COVID, when the world stopped overnight and everybody was working from home, yet those in our 60+ factories continued to go to work, and I can only be full of admiration for the people who took the risks to do this. I think that alone illustrates the spirit of the company. How much more grateful can you be for this?"
Indeed, the Barry Callebaut spirit is one of persistent passion, entrepreneurship, and loyalty.
"If there is one thing Klaus would ask us not to forget, it would be to continue to move fast; to take risks, make bold decisions and if we made any mistakes, go back and start all over again. That was who he was. I think there is still tremendous opportunity in the chocolate business. If you bring chocolate to anybody in the world, people always smile. How much prouder can anyone be to make a product that makes people happy, that makes people smile?" There can be no sweeter history or future than this.
Nana Kofi Acquah
Believing in the power of stories to change the world, Nana Kofi writes and photographs for businesses and organizations that are serious about growth. He lives in a tiny fishing village on the hem of Accra with his wife, 3 kids and 2 boerboels.
We employ more than 12,500 people operating out of more than 40 countries
We run more than 60 production facilities and 25 CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ Centers across the globe
We generated annual sales of about CHF 7.2 billion (EUR 6.6 billion / USD 7.9 billion) in fiscal year 2020/21
We have comprehensive competencies in the art of making chocolate and cocoa products - from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds.
With more than 175 years of chocolate heritage, the Barry Callebaut Group has an unparalleled blend of expertise in cocoa and chocolate, including insights into future consumer trends which we gather through our chefs network.
With a comprehensive portfolio of brands & products, we are serving three main customer audiences:
Food & Beverages Manufacturers: Global, regional and local food manufacturers use Barry Callebaut's chocolate and cocoa products as ingredients in their consumer products.
Artisans & Chefs: Professional users such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakeries, hotels, restaurants and caterers rely on Barry Callebaut's premium chocolate products and on its convenient, ready-to-use and ready-to-sell products offered under a variety of gourmet brands.
Vending: Barry Callebaut’s various beverage brands offer a rich variety of chocolate, cocoa and cappuccino vending mixes to its global customer base in the vending sector.
25% of all chocolate and cocoa products consumed in the world contain Barry Callebaut.
We are present in 1 out of 4 of all chocolate and cocoa products around the world
As a business-to-business company, the Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from global and local food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers.
We are able to provide our customers with added-value products and services adapted to specific market needs, ahead of trends and at a competitive price.
We are present in one out of four of all chocolate and cocoa products consumed around the world.
Barry Callebaut is the outsourcing partner of choice for leading global and local food companies with which we have a number of long-term partnership agreements. We are also the world's largest supplier of gourmet chocolates and specialties products through our three global brands Callebaut®, Cacao Barry®, and Carma® , as well as the decorations specialist Mona Lisa®.
We are present in all stages of the industrial chocolate value chain
The Barry Callebaut Group is mastering every step in the value chain from the sourcing of raw materials to the production of the finest chocolates.
As we do not own any cocoa plantations, we source our most important raw material, the cocoa bean, directly through well-established presences in cocoa origin countries from cooperatives, intermediaries and government bodies.
In order to accommodate price fluctuations in raw materials, we use a cost-plus pricing model that passes on raw material prices directly to our customers for a large part of our business.
From the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate and cocoa products - Barry Callebaut is present in all stages of the cocoa and chocolate value chain.
Barry Callebaut uniquely positioned in industrial chocolate and cocoa markets
With more than 175 years of chocolate heritage, the Barry Callebaut Group has an unparalleled blend of expertise in cocoa and chocolate. Through our leadership in innovation, we help our customers grow. Combined with our cost leadership, this makes us the preferred outsourcing partner of the food industry.
The chocolate and cocoa markets: The competitive landscape in which the Barry Callebaut Group operates.
A global manufacturing footprint and a unique local service presence
We are a fully vertically integrated company and have a unique global footprint with more than 60 factories. The Barry Callebaut Group runs cocoa factories in the main cocoa origin countries as well as chocolate factories close to our customers. We are able to provide our customers with added-value products and services adapted to specific market needs, ahead of trends and at a competitive price.
Barry Callebaut’s truly global footprint gives the company a key competitive advantage.
Our vision and values
Everything the Barry Callebaut Group does has deep and strong roots in the company's five core values - customer focus, passion, entrepreneurship, team spirit, and integrity.
Our strategy
The Barry Callebaut Group aims to outperform the global chocolate and cocoa market. This ambitious long-term strategy is based on four pillars:
Geographical split (as per end of fiscal year 2020/21)
Barry Callebaut is organized into different Regions: Region EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), Region Americas and Region Asia Pacific. The globally managed Global Cocoa business is reported as a separate segment like a Region.
Overall, Barry Callebaut operated 64 factories worldwide by the end of fiscal year 2020/21, selling its products to 137 countries.
Our Regional and Product split
Sales volume by Product Group
Barry Callebaut is serving various customer segments - from global and local food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate - through three different Product Groups: Food Manufacturers Products, Cocoa Products and Gourmet & Specialties Products.
Key figures fiscal year 2020/21 (as per August 31, 2021)
Barry Callebaut will continue to strive for a smart balance between consistent, above-market volume growth and enhanced profitability - continuing our 'smart growth' strategy.
Outlook
The mid-term guidance for the 3-year period 2020/21 - 2022/23:
On average 5-7% volume growth and EBIT above volume growth in local currencies, barring any major unforeseeable events.
Barry Callebaut together with IB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and KU Leuven (University of Leuven) optimize the cocoa fermentation process with a newly developed yeast
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 5, 2025 – SHERIDAN, WYOMING - September 25, 2025 - Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG on course for success
Waldenbuch, January 26, 2022 - Is stinginess really not cool anymore? Based on the experience of Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG, what current surveys suggest for milk or meat products also seems to apply to chocolate:
"We launched our first cocoa program over 30 years ago. At that time, sustainable cultivation and the economic situation in the countries of origin were of little relevance to most people in this country and certainly not a purchasing decision," explains Ritter CEO Andreas Ronken. "Nevertheless, we stuck to it and continuously expanded our commitment to sustainability at all levels - out of conviction. Decades of investment are now beginning to pay off." In 2021, the company's sales will increase by a good seven percent to EUR 505 million. A current survey, in which 55 percent of those questioned stated that sustainability plays a greater role for them when buying chocolate than it used to*, confirms this nationally and internationally noticeable trend. "Growth is also important for us, but we measure success differently," emphasizes Ronken, referring to numerous advances in key sustainability areas.
Ritter - the climate-neutral company
After a first milestone, climate-neutral production in 2019, which included all processing steps at the Waldenbuch site (Scope 1 and 2), Ritter also has factors for 2020 that go beyond production and lie within the company's direct sphere of influence, such as the delivery of the chocolate produced (Scope 3 influenceable) compensated. Plans for this year include using certificates from the company's own value-added chain to offset previously unavoidable CO2 emissions for the first time. Thanks to reforestation on 1,200 hectares, the Ritter Sport cocoa farm El Cacao in Nicaragua has been recognized as a Gold Standard climate protection project. This is how the family business generates its own certificates. The next major goal, complete climate neutrality along the entire value chain, which also includes areas outside of our own sphere of influence, such as raw material production (Scope 3 cannot be influenced), is to be achieved by 2025.
100% certified sustainable cocoa - visible on every bar in the future
Significant progress has also been made in the area of cocoa procurement, which is so central for a chocolate manufacturer, emphasizes Ronken: "In the meantime, around 70 percent of our cocoa comes from our cocoa programs. Not only do we know where, by whom and how our cocoa is grown, we also implement concrete measures together with our local partners that contribute to sustainably improving the social, economic and ecological conditions in the countries of origin. Since 2018, Ritter has been the first and so far the only major chocolate bar manufacturer to source exclusively certified sustainable cocoa for the entire range. From mid-2022, this will be prominently displayed on the front of every Ritter Sport table. With this, Ritter takes into account the desire of many consumers for information and orientation.
The appreciation Ritter has for the raw material cocoa is shown not least by the endeavor to use the cocoa fruit holistically. Already at the beginning of 2021, the cocoa fruit bar Cacao y Nada, which consists of 100 percent cocoa, caused a stir in Germany. A new edition is planned for 2022. A company-owned start-up has now launched a cocoa fruit soft drink and a Secco under the name CacaoVida. The juice of the cocoa fruit, which usually simply drains off during fermentation, is used for both the Cacao y Nada and the CacaoVida products.
"Our drive is to do the right things to make really good chocolate," summarizes Ronken. "The result is a modern brand that combines joie de vivre and responsibility and thus obviously hits the nerve of the times."
*Source: Toluna Online Sustainability Survey, January 2022, Germany, n=300
About Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Founded in 1912, the family company with its headquarters in Waldenbuch, Swabia, a second production site in Breitenbrunn, Austria, and subsidiaries in other international markets today employs around 1,750 people and achieved sales of 505 million euros in 2021. Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG is the first and so far only large chocolate bar manufacturer to only purchase certified sustainable cocoa for the entire range, which includes the Ritter Sport and Amicelli brands. This corresponds to our own claim to do the right thing to make really good chocolate. The colorful Ritter Sport squares are sold in over 100 countries worldwide.
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – September 25, 2025 – With the new Fernweh Edition 2022, Ritter Sport awakens the desire to travel
Waldenbuch, January 2022 – This year once again, Ritter Sport is taking its fans to distant countries and offering them the perfect little chocolate break from everyday life. Highlights of the Fernweh Edition 2022 are the two new 100 gram varieties Kirsch Almond and Salted Caramel.
Konnichiwa: cherry and almond
The cherry almond takes us on a fascinating journey to Japan. She invites us to immerse ourselves in this mysterious culture and be enchanted by the bewitching beauty of the sakura, the Japanese cherry blossom. Everyone who likes it fruity should definitely try the cherry almond: The crunchy whole milk chocolate is filled with a sour cherry cream (41%), which is refined with a light note of bitter almonds. The combination with chopped almonds (2.5%) promises an outstanding taste experience.
Salted Caramel - an American dream
Hi there! The Salted Caramel guarantees taste with cult status. The new wanderlust variety takes you to the wild Southwest of the USA: be on the road on the legendary Route 66, spend the night in the midst of the unique nature of the national parks, hike through the Grand Canyon and finally enjoy the breathtaking view of the Pacific. This longing is aroused by the trend combination of milk chocolate with salted butter caramel crisps (7.5%) and caramel pieces (7.5%).
Squared Caribbean feelings
Buenos dias. The most popular variety of the Fernweh Edition 2021, the White Mango Maracuja, lets its fans dream of the paradisiacal beaches of Costa Rica again in the coming year. With its filling of mango-passion fruit cream (44%) and mango-passion fruit crisp (1%), the white chocolate tastes wonderfully fruity and exotic and is particularly popular with younger target groups.
The Ritter Sport Fernweh Edition will be available in stores from January as a 100 gram square (RRP EUR 1.19).
About Ritter Sport
With around 40 different varieties, Ritter Sport offers the right chocolate for every taste - from classics such as alpine milk or whole nuts to vegan or lactose-free and gluten-free varieties. Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG is the first and so far only large chocolate bar manufacturer to source exclusively certified sustainable cocoa for all of them - recognizable by the Rainforest Alliance seal on the packaging - and all varieties are produced and delivered in a climate-neutral manner. An example of our own aspiration to do the right thing to make really good chocolate. The family company, founded in 1912, now employs around 1,650 people and achieved sales of 470 million euros in 2020. In Germany, Ritter Sport has a brand awareness of 99 percent (supported), but the colorful squares are even sold in over 100 countries worldwide.
Contact
Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Elke Dietrich
Alfred-Ritter-Strasse 25
71111 Waldenbuch
Phone: +49 (0)7157 – 97-1176
Email: presse@ritter-sport.de
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – November 5, 2025 – SHERIDAN, WYOMING - September 25, 2025 - RITTER SPORT RECOGNIZED WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT AWARD 2021
Waldenbuch / Paris, December 2021. - This year's Sustainability Report Awards were presented at a festive ceremony last Friday in Paris. One of the international award winners is Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG, which received the "Best in the World" award in the cocoa category for its sustainability report for the second time in a row.
The Ritter Sport sustainability report has been published every two years since 2014 and documents the family company's strategies, processes and measures in the area of sustainability. As a progress report, it provides information about the sustainable development of the company and the approach to short, medium and long-term goals as well as future planning. With the publication of the sustainability report, Ritter underscores its express desire and willingness to communicate transparently with all relevant stakeholders and to enter into an open, constructive dialogue.
"We are very pleased about this renewed award," explains Petra Fix, Global Sustainability Communication at Ritter Sport. "It is a recognition of the work of many colleagues, without whose participation such a report would not be possible."
The Sustainability Report Awards are presented by the international organization Hallbars, headquartered in Sweden. The idea behind this is that sustainability reports are more than green business reports. Rather than being a type of non-fiction book, they are meant to be readable and informative. From several thousand reports, an international expert jury, which basically remains anonymous so that nobody can influence them, selected 51 reports in different categories, which are awarded as "Best in the World".
The Ritter Sport Sustainability Report 2020 is entitled "Doing the right thing" - a reference to the drive of the family business to do the right thing to make really good chocolate. For Petra Fix, the fact that the Sustainability Report Awards only evaluate the presentation of a company's commitment to sustainability, but not its actual actions, is not a drawback: "The sustainability report is like chocolate: Beautiful packaging is important, it has to make you want to see the content. But in the end, the content has to be convincing. And that is clearly the case with us."
About Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Working in harmony with people and nature is the central principle of Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG. In addition to topics such as CO2 neutrality and recyclable packaging, the focus is on the sustainable procurement of raw materials. That is why the family business, as the first and so far only large chocolate bar manufacturer, has been sourcing certified sustainable cocoa for the entire range, which includes the Ritter Sport and Amicelli brands, since 2018 and invests around eleven million euros in sustainable cocoa procurement every year. The family company based in Waldenbuch, Swabia, employs around 1,650 people and achieved sales of 470 million euros in 2020.
Contact
Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Petra Fix
Alfred-Ritter-Strasse 25
71111 Waldenbuch
Phone: +49 (0)7157 - 97-1176
Email: presse@ritter-sport.de
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – September 25, 2025 – A REASON TO CELEBRATE: THE NEW CACAOVIDA COCOA FRUIT SECCO
Cheers to life! At the end of November 2021, CacaoVida will launch the first Secco cocoa fruit. Unlike conventional Secco, this is not made from grapes, but from the juice of the fresh cocoa fruit. This makes it a real product innovation and once again shows the diversity and great potential of the cocoa fruit. The unique, slightly fruity drink embodies pure joie de vivre and gives every occasion that certain something.
Sustainable, pure and uniquely delicious
After the successful launch of the cocoa fruit soft drink in summer, the Ritter Sport start-up is presenting another innovation: the cocoa fruit Secco - pleasantly dry with a slightly fruity note. The basis is cocoa fruit juice, which comes from 100 percent certified sustainable cultivation in Nicaragua. The process of production is comparable to that of classic wine made from grape juice. The pure cocoa fruit wine obtained in this way is then bubbled with carbonic acid, which gives it that special tingle. Thanks to the low alcohol content of seven percent, Secco is ideal as a light aperitif. Whether pure or as a basis for a new drink - served well chilled, it is the perfect addition to any celebration.
CacaoVida, the new way of enjoying cocoa
Innovative strength, joie de vivre, naturalness and sustainability characterize the products of CacaoVida. The focus is on the holistic utilization of the cocoa fruit. So far, mainly the cocoa beans have been processed, but not the pulp and the juice of the cocoa fruit. The young start-up wants to change that - loosely based on the motto "upcycling cocoa". CacaoVida uses fresh cocoa juice, which is obtained on Ritter Sport's own cocoa plantation El Cacao in Nicaragua, as the basis. The natural product is collected during the fermentation of the cocoa beans, filtered, pasteurized and taken from there to Germany for further processing. The cocoa pods come 100 percent from El Cacao. This guarantees sustainable cultivation and transparent origin. Up until a year ago, only the beans of the cocoa fruit were permitted as food in the EU. The cocoa juice is a natural, healthy all-rounder.
Partnership with a view to the future
For the production of the cocoa fruit secco, CacaoVida was able to gain two partners with tradition and competent specialist knowledge. The cocoa fruit wine is pressed at the Klopfer winery in Weinstadt-Großheppach in the Remstal. The winery with more than 500 years of history is known for its high-quality wines, which are produced under the motto "preserve tradition, develop modernity". The sparkling to Secco and the bottling finally takes place at the Palatinate sparkling wine producer Schreier & Kohn in Großkarlbach.
The cocoa fruit Secco will be available from November 30, 2021 in 0.75 l glass bottles for €14.99 (RRP) online at cacaovida.com/secco and in the Ritter Sport chocolate worlds in Waldenbuch and Berlin. The first production of the 2021 vintage is limited to 15,000 bottles.
About CacaoVida and Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
CacaoVida is an internal start-up of Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG, which has set itself the goal of the holistic utilization of the cocoa fruit under the motto "UpcyclingCacao". The Ritter family business, founded in 1912 and headquartered in Waldenbuch, Swabia, is the first and so far the only large chocolate bar manufacturer to source exclusively certified sustainable cocoa for the entire range, which includes the Ritter Sport and Amicelli brands. The company operates its own cocoa farm in Central American Nicaragua. Cocoa is grown there on around 1,200 hectares in a sustainable agroforestry system.
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – September 25, 2025 – THE NEW RITTER SPORT CHOCOLATE CENTER
Waldenbuch, November 2021 - After almost three years of construction, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG is opening the extension to its chocolate headquarters. The state-of-the-art, sustainable building is currently being certified by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). It is a clear commitment to the Waldenbuch site and, with a volume of around 20 million euros, an important investment in the future of the chocolate manufacturer.
“This is where the heart of the Ritter Sport brand beats. With our new chocolate headquarters, we have created premises that promote innovation and enable our employees to work even more closely together on an interdisciplinary basis," says Ritter CEO Andreas Ronken. "The newly opened extension building reflects both the company's claim to do business in harmony with people and nature, as well as the typical Ritter passion for cocoa and really good chocolate".
Innovation. Sustainability. functionality.
With the new chocolate center, which consists of the new building and the existing building, Ritter Sport is setting a clear example for a new, more innovative way of working. In order to achieve measurable results in the areas of ecology, economy and socio-cultural sustainability, the building was constructed in accordance with the DGNB certification system. The certification phase is not yet complete, the declared goal is DGNB Gold. In addition, the "Cradle to Cradle" principle was implemented, according to which the materials used can be returned to the material cycle after the building's lifetime.
Ritter Sport also shows innovative spirit in the choice of building materials and technical elements: From the invisible wooden facade and the use of rainwater for toilets and green areas, to the concrete core temperature control, which is used for heating and cooling purposes, to the biodynamic lighting of the rooms and a 500 square meter photovoltaic system on the roof.
A light-flooded gallery was added as a link between the new building and the existing building, which is currently being gradually modernized. It combines both parts and, thanks to attractive lounges and a green roof terrace, serves as a place to meet and relax.
Make the brand tangible
One of the most important goals of the extension building, in addition to sustainability, was to create an agile working environment for more innovation and exchange across all departments. In addition, the product and the Ritter Sport brand should come to life. The architecture, design and project planning team succeeded in doing this in an exemplary manner. Anyone who walks through the extension of the chocolate headquarters from the basement to the second floor will experience the creation of the Ritter Sport chocolates from the idea to their way into retail in all its facets.
The basement forms the foundation for security and processes. The new medical center is located here, as are the gate, the entrance and the storage and technical rooms. On the ground floor, the focus is on the product. This is where the Innovationswerk is located, the home of the research and development department with everything that is needed to produce really good chocolate: from the cocoa bean to small-batch production and packaging. In particular, the chocolate workshop and the cocoa workshop are technical and design highlights. There, employees and external parties have the opportunity to taste new products and thus participate in the development.
Modern, open-plan workspaces and meeting rooms for around 100 employees are located on the first and second floors. On the first floor, the focus is on communicating and experiencing the Ritter Sport brand. The second floor is finally under the motto "Bring it to the world". This is where all the areas responsible for sales and distribution are located. All work surfaces are adapted to the special needs of the employees and designed according to the latest standards. The result was an innovative, colorful office landscape with a wonderful view of the wooded surroundings and Waldenbuch Castle.
About Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Founded in 1912, the family company with its headquarters in Waldenbuch, Swabia, a second production site in Breitenbrunn, Austria, and subsidiaries in other international markets today employs around 1,650 people and achieved sales of 470 million euros in 2020. Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG is the first and so far only large chocolate bar manufacturer to only purchase certified sustainable cocoa for the entire range, which includes the Ritter Sport and Amicelli brands. Ritter has been a climate-neutral company since 2020 - another example of our own claim to do the right thing to make really good chocolate, e.g u do. The colorful Ritter Sport squares are sold in over 100 countries worldwide
Contact
Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Bianca Kulik
Alfred-Ritter-Strasse 25
71111 Waldenbuch
Phone: +49 (0)7157 – 97-1176
Email: presse@ritter-sport.de
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – September 25, 2025 – Mimosa, Gin & Tonic and Moscow Mule Join the Line of True-To-Life Cocktail Flavours
Inspired by some of the world’s favourite cocktails, the Jelly Belly Candy Company jelly bean mixologists are at it again with a refreshed Cocktail Classics line featuring three new flavours and contemporary new package designs. Mimosa, Gin & Tonic and Moscow Mule join fan favourites Pomegranate Cosmo, Margarita, Mojito, Piña Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri.
Available now, Jelly Belly Cocktail Classics are OU Kosher certified, gluten-free, peanut free, dairy free, fat free and non-alcoholic. Like all Jelly Belly jelly beans, the new products pack intense flavour from the chewy center to the shell. Flavours included in the refreshed line are:
• Mimosa – Be immediately transported to weekend brunch with this sophisticated flavour blend of champagne and orange juice.
• Gin & Tonic – The flavour of crisp and distinct elderberry is combined with green flecks of tart lime for a refreshing bite.
• Moscow Mule – On the outside, a beautiful copper colour to mirror the iconic Moscow Mule mug, and on the inside bright and aromatic tastes of spicy ginger beer.
• Pomegranate Cosmo – This flavour is bright in colour, sweet, fruity and refreshing.
• Margarita – The flavours of this recipe will carry you away to a sunny beach or happy hour with friends.
• Mojito – Bright mint and lime notes add to this refreshing and herbaceous variety.
• Piña Colada – Flavours of pineapple and coconut are blended together for a bite-sized tropical delight.
• Strawberry Daiquiri – Made with real strawberry puree, this flavour instantly brings the sweet and fruity frozen cocktail to perfected candy form.
Jelly Belly Cocktail Classics will be available in a 70g Bag and 200g Gable Box featuring all eight flavours and a 125g Gift Box featuring Mimosa, Gin & Tonic, Moscow Mule, Pomegranate Cosmo and Margarita flavours.
A family-owned and operated candy company for six generations, Jelly Belly has a long history in bringing high-quality products to market, offering over 50 different confections in addition to the 100+ flavours of its iconic Jelly Belly jelly beans.
Jelly Belly Candy Company
1 Jelly Belly Ln
Fairfield ,CA 94533-6722
United States of America
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – September 25, 2025 – Flawil, January 2022 – Swiss manufacturer Maestrani specializes in organic and fair trade chocolate. The new "Munz Swiss Organic" line has been available in six unique recipes since May 2021. Maestrani is one of the pioneers in the organic sector and was the first Swiss company to start producing organic and fair trade chocolate back in 1987. The packaging of the new “Munz Swiss Organic” bar line is also committed to sustainability: the packaging consists of 25% local grass fibers and requires far fewer resources in its manufacture.
"Munz Swiss Organic" replaced the previous organic chocolate line under the Maestrani brand. New name and new design with unchanged enjoyment and the same values: The four most popular recipes “72% cocoa”, “Espresso”, “Caramel & Salt” and “Raspberry” will remain under the Munz brand. The "85% Peru Cocoa" variety and the "Coconut" variant with a new creamy coconut filling are also available. The new bars now weigh 100 instead of 80 grams and are 100% climate-neutral, produced in Switzerland without any palm oil or soy.
Swiss chocolate in organic and fair trade quality
The new Swiss organic chocolates in six unique recipes are made from natural, fairly traded raw materials in organic and fair trade quality from traditional Swiss production. The Maestrani family business, which owns the popular traditional Munz brand, has been one of the Swiss organic pioneers in the chocolate market for over 35 years. As early as 1987, Maestrani was the first Swiss company to start producing organic and fair trade chocolate. To this day, sustainability is a top priority at Maestrani. It is therefore not surprising that a smart packaging solution made of resource-saving grass cardboard was chosen for the new line of bars. The cardboard box consists of 25% dried grass fibers from around the paper mill and is significantly more sustainable than ordinary cardboard with a CO2 reduction of up to 75%.
Pure enjoyment, sustainably good in six flavors
The six unique recipes from "Munz Swiss Organic" for sustainable chocolate enjoyment are:
• 85% Peru Cocoa: The intensive one for everyone who loves pure chocolate pleasure made from the finest Swiss dark chocolate.
• 72% Cocoa: The tart flavor made from the finest dark chocolate for all lovers of dark chocolate.
• Espresso 72% Cocoa: For bright people who don't want to do without the espresso in chocolate.
• Caramel & Salt: Milk chocolate with caramelized hazelnut brittle and alpine salt for everyone who loves unusual combinations
• Raspberry: The light and fruity one made from white chocolate with raspberries for everyone who likes fruity chocolate.
• Coconut: Mild dark chocolate with a creamy coconut filling for those who like it exotic.
matching
Maestrani Schweizer Schokoladen AG
Toggenburger Str. 41
9230 Flawil
Switzerland
