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, Milk 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 it special is that it's made from milk whey. This means it has natural ingredients like lactose and minerals.
Rivella is very popular in Switzerland. It is also sold in other countries, especially the Netherlands. You can find Rivella in many different flavors, depending on where you are.
Contents
The Story of Rivella
How Rivella Began
In 1950, Robert Barth worked with a biologist named Hans Süsli Zurich. They used a recipe that was first meant to make beer from whey. Instead, they created a new soft drink. This drink was first sold as Rivella Red in 1952. That same year, the company Rivella AG was started.
The name "Rivella" came from two things. It was inspired by the town of Riva San Vitale in Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It also came from the Italian word rivelazione, which means "revelation."
Growing the Rivella Family
Rivella first started making drinks in Stäfa. Later, production moved to Rothrist, where it still is today. In 1958, a second type of Rivella was launched in the Netherlands. It came to Switzerland in 1959. This new drink was called Rivella Blue. It was a lower-calorie version of the original. Rivella Blue was actually the first diet soft drink ever sold in Europe!
In 1999, Rivella Green was launched. This flavor included green tea extract. In 2008, Rivella Yellow came out. It was made with soy milk instead of milk whey.
Leadership and Partnerships
In 2000, Robert Barth's son, Alexander Barth, took over the company. Robert Barth passed away in 2007.
For many years, the Swiss supermarket chain Migros sold its own version of Rivella. It was called Mivella. Rivella made this drink just for Migros. However, customers liked the original Rivella more. So, in 2008, Migros started selling Rivella instead of Mivella. In 2022, Migros brought back an older competing drink called "Prego."
Since 1977, Rivella has supported the Swiss National Ski team. In 2017, they celebrated 40 years of working together in St. Moritz.
What's in Rivella?
Main Ingredients of Rivella Red
Rivella Red is made with a few key ingredients:
- Water
- Milk whey (about 35%)
- Sugar
- Carbonic acid (this makes it fizzy!)
- Acidity regulator (L(+)-Lactic Acid)
- Caramelized sugar for color
- Natural flavors
Different Rivella Varieties
Each type of Rivella has slightly different ingredients:
- Rivella Red has about 37 calories per 100 ml. It also has 10 grams of sugar.
- Rivella Blue has fewer calories, about 7 calories per 100 ml. It uses artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.
- Rivella Green Tea also contains a small amount of green tea extract. It has about 22 calories per 100 ml.
Rivella Flavors
Rivella comes in many flavors. Here are some of the main ones available in Switzerland:
| 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 | ||||||
Rivella in the Netherlands
The Netherlands also has its own special Rivella flavors. These include:
- Rivella Original
- Rivella Green Tea
- Rivella Cranberry
- Rivella Pineapple
- Rivella Raspberry
Where Can You Find Rivella?
Rivella is often called Switzerland's national drink. In 2013, Rivella was the second most popular soft drink in Switzerland. Only Coca-Cola sold more.
Rivella has been a popular brand for a long time in Principality of Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Rivella Light, which is now called Rivella Blue, was first sold in the Netherlands in 1958. 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 using the same recipe. However, in the Netherlands, a company called Vrumona makes Rivella under a special agreement. They use a concentrate supplied by Rivella.
Rivella used to be sold in stores in the United States. Now, customers in America can still buy it online.
See also
In Spanish: Rivella para niños
