Rivella facts for kids
Red Rivella logo
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| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Rivella SA |
| Country of origin | Switzerland |
| Introduced | 1952 |
| Ingredients | Water, whey, carbonic acid |
| Variants | Red, Blue, Green, Refresh, Grapefruit, Mint (Switzerland); Yellow, CLIQ Peach, CLIQ Rhubarb, Elderflower (Switzerland, discontinued); Original, Green tea, Cranberry, Pineapple, Raspberry (Netherlands) |
Rivella is a popular soft drink from Switzerland. It was created by Robert Barth in 1952. What makes Rivella special is that it's made from milk whey. Whey is a natural part of milk, and it gives Rivella its unique taste. This drink is sold in Switzerland and many other countries, and it comes in different flavors.
Contents
How Rivella Started
In 1950, a person named Robert Barth and a scientist named Hans Süsli Zurich worked together. They used a recipe that was first meant for making beer from whey. Instead, they decided to create a soft drink.
The Birth of Rivella Red
This new soft drink was first sold in 1952 as Rivella Red. That same year, the company Rivella AG was started. The name "Rivella" was inspired by a town in Switzerland called Riva San Vitale. It also comes from the Italian word rivelazione, which means "revelation."
The first Rivella drinks were made in a place called Stäfa. Later, the production moved to Rothrist, where it is still made today.
New Flavors Over Time
In 1958, a second type of Rivella was launched in the Netherlands. A year later, in 1959, it came to Switzerland. This was called Rivella Blue. It was a lower-calorie version of the original. Rivella Blue was actually the first diet soft drink ever launched in Europe!
Later, in 1999, Rivella Green was introduced. This flavor was made with green tea extract. In 2008, Rivella Yellow was launched. This one was special because it used soy milk instead of milk whey.
Leadership and Competition
In 2000, Robert Barth's son, Alexander Barth, took over as the head of the company. Robert Barth passed away in 2007.
For a while, a Swiss supermarket chain called Migros sold its own version of the drink, called Mivella. Rivella made Mivella just for Migros. But in 2008, Migros stopped selling Mivella. Customers liked the original Rivella more, so Migros started selling Rivella instead. In February 2022, Migros brought back an older competitor drink called "Prego," which was first created in 1956.
Rivella and Sports
Since 1977, Rivella has been a sponsor of the Swiss National Ski team. This means they help support the team. In 2017, they celebrated 40 years of working together at an event in St. Moritz.
What's Inside Rivella?
Rivella is known for its unique ingredients. The main ingredient that makes it special is milk whey.
Main Ingredients
Here are the main things you'll find in Rivella Red:
- Water
- Milk whey (about 35% of the drink)
- Sugar
- Carbonic acid (this is what makes it fizzy!)
- Acidity regulator (L(+)-Lactic Acid)
- Caramelized sugar (for color and taste)
- Natural flavorings
Different Rivella Types and Their Energy
- Rivella Red has about 37 calories per 100 ml. It contains 9 grams of sugar.
- Rivella Blue has fewer calories, about 7 calories per 100 ml. It uses artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.
- Rivella Green Tea has about 22 calories per 100 ml. It also includes green tea extracts.
All the Different Rivella Flavors
Rivella comes in many flavors, especially in Switzerland. Some flavors are still made today, while others were only available for a few years.
| Nutrition facts for Swiss varieties of Rivella (per 100 ml) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flavor | Years of production | Energy | Fat | Carbohydrate | Protein | Salt |
| Rivella Red | since 1952 | 37 kcal | 0 g | 9 g | 0 g | 0.03 g |
| Rivella Blue | since 1959 | 7 kcal | 0 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 0.03 g |
| Rivella Green Tea | since 1999 | 22 kcal | 0 g | 5 g | 0 g | 0.02 g |
| Rivella Refresh | since 2018 | 21 kcal | 0 g | 5.2 g | 0 g | 0.02 g |
| Rivella Grapefruit | since 2021 | 19 kcal | 0 g | 4.7 g | 0 g | 0.02 g |
| Rivella Swiss Mint | since 2021 | 19 kcal | 0 g | 4.7 g | 0 g | 0.02 g |
| Discontinued flavors | ||||||
| Flavor | Years of production | Energy | Fat | Carbohydrate | Protein | Salt |
| Rivella Yellow | 2008–2011 | 13 kcal | 0 g | 3.1 g | 0 g | 0.02 g |
| Rivella Peach | 2014–2016 | 35 kcal | 0 g | 8.4 g | 0 g | 0.03 g |
| Rivella Tropical Mango | 2016–2018 | 35 kcal | 0 g | 8.4 g | 0 g | 0.03 g |
| Rivella Rhubarb | 2014–2019 | 35 kcal | 0 g | 8.4 g | 0 g | 0.03 g |
| Rivella Elderflower | 2019–2021 | 35 kcal | 0 g | 8.4 g | 0 g | 0.03 g |
| Source: Nutrition facts of Rivella products | ||||||
Where Can You Find Rivella?
Rivella is often called Switzerland's national drink because it's so popular there. In 2013, Rivella AG had 15.3% of the soft drink market in Switzerland. This made it the second most popular soft drink, right after Coca-Cola.
Rivella has also been popular for a long time in places like the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Rivella Blue, the lower-calorie version, was first launched in the Netherlands in 1958 for people with diabetes. It came to Switzerland a year later. The Netherlands is still the biggest foreign market for Rivella.
You can also find Rivella in areas of Germany, France, and Austria that are close to Switzerland. Most Rivella drinks sold outside Switzerland are made with the same recipe. However, in the Netherlands, a company called Vrumona makes Rivella using a special concentrate sent from Rivella.
Rivella used to be sold in stores in the United States, but it is not available that way anymore. People in America can still buy it online if they want to.
See also
In Spanish: Rivella para niños
- Culinary Heritage of Switzerland
- Calpis, a similar soft drink made with dry milk and lactic acid
- Milkis, a similar soft drink made with milk
