Ricola - Original Natural Herb Cough Drops
by Ricola
Ricola - Original Natural Herb Cough Drops by Ricola receives a safety score of 100/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. None of the ingredients in this product are flagged for safety concerns by FDA or CSPI databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.
What the Data Says About
Ricola - Original Natural Herb Cough Drops by Ricola carries a composite safety score of 100/100, which we classify as "Safe" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Our scan did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.
On the NOVA processing scale, Ricola - Original Natural Herb Cough Drops is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone. The Nutri-Score grade of A reflects nutritional balance — calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium versus fiber, protein, and produce content — which again is a distinct dimension from additive safety and worth weighing alongside the scores above.
Safety Profile at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 100/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 0 | CSPI/FDA review |
| NOVA processing group | Group 4 | OpenFoodFacts |
| Nutri-Score | A | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
drug facts active ingredient (in each drop) menthol, 4.8 mg. purposes cough suppressant, oral anesthetic uses temporarily rolieves: * cough due to a cold or inhaled irrtants occasional minor iritation and pain due to sore throat or sore mouth warnings sore throat warnings: if sore throat is severe, persists for more than 2 days, is accompanied or followed by fever, headache, rash, swelling, nausea, or vomiting, consult a doctor promptly. these may be serious. do not use in children under 6 years of age unless directed by a doctor. relief ask a doctor before use if you have persistent or chronic cough such as occurs with smoking, asthma, or emphysema cough accompanied by excessive phiegm (mucus) been oducts stop use and ask a doctor if cough persists for more than 1 week, tends to recur, or is accompanied by fever, rash, or persistent headache. these coulid be signs of a serious condition. sore mouth does not improve in 7 days imitation, pain, or redness persists or worsens elief keep out of reach of children. ts. directions adults and children 6 years and older: dissolve 2 drops (one at a time) slowly in the mouth. do not bite or chew. repeat every 2 hours as needed or as directed by a doctor children under 6 years: ask a doctor other information protect from heat and moisture inactive ingredients color (caramel), extract of a hicola herb mixture (elder, horehound, hyssop, lemon balm, linden flowers, mallow, peppermint, sage, thyme, wild thyme), natural flavor, starch syrup, sugar
Categories
Data Sources
Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.
This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.
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