Riegelein
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
German maker of seasonal chocolate bunnies and Santas.
Riegelein is reported to get most of its cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.
Also worth knowing
Its cocoa is Fairtrade certified, which comes with a minimum price for farmers and audits for child and forced labour.
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Why it's graded Good
- Met: Meets all 6 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Open supply chain | Not earned | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | Not earned |
3 stars for the first way it goes above and beyond, and one more for each further way, up to 6. About stars
Good requirements 6 of 6
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: strong fair-pay scheme (Fairtrade)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listFully certified by Fairtrade, which holds and audits the list of farms. Riegelein doesn't publish its own.
- Met: Finds and fixes child labour on cocoa farms (Fairtrade, Fair for Life or its own published monitoring), and traces other high-risk ingredients where they're a major part of its range
Red flags 0
None found.
Where its cocoa is grown
From press and retailer reports. Riegelein is fully certified by Fairtrade, which holds and audits its list of farms, but we haven't recorded its countries from it yet. The rest is shown as where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ghana | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CameroonUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| NigeriaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for chocolate: finds and fixes child labour on cocoa farms (Fairtrade, Fair for Life or its own published monitoring).
Research notes Riegelein-branded chocolate carries the Fairtrade mark for cocoa, sugar and vanilla, a switch completed across the brand range from about 2016. A 2016 article said most cocoa came from Ivory Coast and Ghana; no current origin data is published. Owner Gubor, which merged with Polish Colian in 2025, said in October 2025 that production at Riegelein's Cadolzburg plant would end in April 2026 and move to Poland, with other departments staying in Cadolzburg. No group modern slavery statement, wage or audit data was found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Riegelein switched its whole brand range to Fairtrade cocoa and cane sugar from 2011; current products carry the Fairtrade mark. View |
| Chocolate Scorecard | Unclear | Neither Riegelein nor Gubor is among the companies shown in the 2026 (7th edition) Chocolate Scorecard ranking. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Riegelein stellt auf das Fairtrade-Siegel um (Lebensmittel Zeitung, 2011) · search the archive · Riegelein switched all its confectionery to Fairtrade cocoa and cane sugar from 2011
- Dettinger Schokofirma fusioniert (Stuttgarter Zeitung, 2025) · search the archive · Gubor (formed 2019 from Riegelein and Rübezahl, about 1,700 staff, six plants) merging with Polish Colian; Riegelein is a Gubor brand
- Gubor schließt Werk in Cadolzburg (t-online, 2025) · search the archive · Gubor to end production at the Riegelein site in Cadolzburg after Easter 2026 and move it abroad
- Gubor schließt Produktion in Cadolzburg (Lebensmittel Praxis, 2025) · search the archive · Gubor ends production at Cadolzburg at end of April 2026, moving lines to other group sites; admin functions stay
- Woher kommt der Kakao im Schokohasen? (Sonntagsblatt, 2016) · search the archive · Most Riegelein cocoa from Ivory Coast and Ghana; all brand products to use only Fairtrade cocoa, over 750 products converted
- Riegelein Weihnachtsmann 60 g (Codecheck) · search the archive · Current Riegelein Santa carries the Fairtrade seal; ingredients list no palm oil or hazelnuts
- Riegelein products (Ethical Superstore) · search the archive · Riegelein Christmas and Easter ranges carry the Fairtrade seal covering cocoa, cane sugar and vanilla
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Riegelein ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/riegelein, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Good means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Riegelein.