Ribena

How ethical is Ribena?

Ribena is a soft drinks brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soft Drinks Ratings Table. Although Ribena has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Ribena if it applied for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement. Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Soft Drinks sector.

What does Ribena do?

Ribena is a British soft drinks brand now owned by Japanese company Suntory. Originally marketed towards children as a vitamin C- rich cordial during World War II, the brand was bought by Beecham in 1955 and developed into a range of versions.

In which areas does Ribena perform poorly?

Ribena was marked down under our criteria for Organic and Vegetarian due to a lack of certification for either category. It also gets a bottom score for GM, as parent company Suntory has a research department that works with GMOs.

Ribena is also given a bottom rating for Political Donations, as parent company, Suntory, donated above our threshold amount in recent election cycles. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Ribena’s record

Ribena’s parent company, Suntory, has been recently criticised for failing to address the issues of forced labour and human trafficking within its supply chains. Suntory also received Ethical Consumer’s worst rating for its use of palm oil.

In which areas does Ribena score well for its ethics?

We found no criticisms relating to; Nuclear, Fossil Fuels, Animal Welfare (Suntory ended its use of animal testing in 2018) or Armaments, therefore Ribena scores well across these criteria. Ribena also gets a top score for Environmental Report, as Suntory has a page containing detailed targets.

How can Ribena improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Ribena is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soft Drinks Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Ribena has some issues to resolve, including its support for GMOs. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Ribena some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.