Frequently asked questions

The traditional Swiss company with its roots in Zurich is a global leader in the premium chocolate category. Today, quality chocolate products by Lindt & Sprüngli are manufactured at 12 of its own production sites in Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Austria) and the USA. The products are sold by 41 subsidiaries and branch offices, in around 621 of its own shops as well as via a network of more than 100 independent distributors around the globe.

Lindt & Sprüngli stands for premium chocolate, where fine ingredients are combined with over 180 years of tradition and craftsmanship to create the ultimate chocolate experience. It begins with the selection of high-quality ingredients, such as a high percentage of fine cocoa beans, but also other ingredients such as hazelnuts mainly from the Piedmont region or whole vanilla pods, which we use for our Lindt Excellence 70%. With the help of in-depth consumer research, Lindt & Sprüngli strives to meet all consumers’ demands, while also taking into account local tastes and trends in innovative recipes and product concepts.

The two companies have been separated since the end of the 19th century, but they share a part of their history. Originally, Sprüngli was a patisserie with a small chocolate factory in Horgen and locations on both Marktgasse and today's Paradeplatz in Zurich. When Rudolf Sprüngli-Ammann arranged the succession between his sons, he split the company. One of his sons (David Robert Sprüngli-Baud) received the patisserie, while the other (Rudolf Sprüngli-Schifferli) inherited the chocolate factory. He soon built a new, larger factory in Kilchberg. A year later, he acquired the Lindt conching process and the brand. The name was changed to “Aktiengesellschaft Vereinigte Berner & Zürcher Chocoladenfabriken Lindt & Sprüngli”. From then on, the two world-renowned, independent companies “Sprüngli” and “Lindt & Sprüngli” officially existed.

The Lindt Chocolate Competence Foundation, founded in 2013, aims to maintain, cultivate and promote Switzerland’s long-term reputation as a chocolate business location and to further strengthen Swiss chocolate competence. Among other things, the Foundation is committed to fostering skills and innovation throughout the entire industry, providing further training for specialists, and supporting young professionals with state-of-the-art facilities. The Foundation’s main project is the opening of the Lindt Home of Chocolate, a chocolate museum for the general public as an interactive information platform focusing on all aspects of the chocolate industry.

The Lindt Home of Chocolate is not a corporate or Lindt museum, but touches on all aspects of chocolate history, current facts about chocolate and the industry as a whole. Other chocolate manufacturers are also mentioned in the museum. In addition to the museum, the Lindt Home of Chocolate includes a café, chocolateria and shop.

The Lindt Cocoa Foundation supplements the existing efforts of the Lindt & Sprüngli Group in the production countries of the raw materials we source and co-funds selected elements within the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. Visit the dedicated website for more information.

It all starts with purchasing cocoa beans, butter, and powder through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program or other Responsible Sourcing Standards, continues with producing the cocoa mass in our own production facilities, and extends to processing the chocolate and ultimately marketing and distributing our products. The quality and taste of chocolate depends on the type and quality of cocoa used, which is why Lindt & Sprüngli has such high standards when it comes to sourcing raw materials. The bean-to-bar approach applies to all Lindt & Sprüngli products. An exception to this approach is our subsidiary Russell Stover which purchases finished chocolate mass or chocolate products.

Visit our "Bean to bar" page to find out more about the steps in Lindt & Sprüngli’s chocolate production.

Our main cocoa commitment: We aim to continue to source 100% of our cocoa volumes according to a Responsible Sourcing Standard annually between 2026 and 2030

See all of Lindt & Sprüngli's commitments in regard to sustainability here.

Since 2008, the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program has been our Responsible Sourcing Standard for cocoa. It was developed to address social and environmental impacts in our cocoa supply chain. The Farming Program aims to contribute to resilient livelihoods for cocoa farmers and their families and to promote Good Farming Practices and biodiverse landscapes. It is built on Rainforest Alliance certification and strengthened by targeted investments and activities beyond certification. At Lindt & Sprüngli, Good Farming Practices may include Good Agricultural Practices (as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization), agroforestry, production efficiency, and diversified farm systems. The comprehensive definition can be found on the Farming Program website.

Find out more about this in our latest Sustainability report.

High quality cocoa is at the heart of our chocolate. It is our most important raw material, and we are committed to sourcing it responsibly. That's why we developed our own responsible sourcing program for cocoa, the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. You can find further information on the Farming Program website.

High quality cocoa is at the heart of our chocolate. Knowing how the different cocoa flavors of the various origins contribute to the distinctive taste of our chocolate products is a skill that we have perfected over time.

A fundamental distinction is made between consumer and fine flavor cocoa. Consumer cocoa is cocoa with a robust flavor. It accounts for the largest share (90-95%) of total global cocoa production and is farmed mainly in West Africa. Lindt & Sprüngli uses Forastero beans (consumer cocoa), exclusively from Ghana.

The remaining 5-10% of worldwide cocoa harvests are fine flavor cocoa. Fine flavor cocoa is a high-quality cocoa with nuanced, fine aroma. It is mainly farmed in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lindt & Sprüngli uses fine flavor cocoa beans (Criollo and Trinitario) from Ecuador, Madagascar, Dominican Republic, Papua New Guinea and Peru.

The Farming Program is active in seven cocoa producing countries: Côte d’Ivoire, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea. and Peru. A minor share of our cocoa beans can come from other countries but is also sourced through other Responsible Sourcing Standards.

All Lindt & Sprüngli brands except Russell Stover use cocoa sourced through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program.

Traceability is a part of our key principles of our Responsible Sourcing Approach for cocoa. This includes establishing traceability from the farm to the first point of purchase (first mile traceability). In 2025, Lindt & Sprüngli achieved 100% first mile traceability four our cocoa products, including beans, butter, powder, and chocolate mass.

See our latest Sustainability Statement to learn more about the traceability levels of the cocoa products we source.

Cocoa farmers worldwide are essential for the sustainability and long-term success of our business. However, many cocoa farmers struggle to build resilient livelihoods from growing cocoa. Especially in West Africa, many live below the poverty line and child labor remains a persistent challenge. These issues are complex and systemic — but we believe that bundled interventions, long-term relationships, and collective action can drive meaningful change. Through those, The Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program strives to contribute to building resilient livelihoods for farmers, their families, and farming communities. Our goal is to improve the income situation of the farmers in our cocoa value chain, as poverty among cocoa households is one of the underlying root causes of the cocoa sector’s challenges.

In 2025, we invested CHF 35.1 million in the responsible sourcing of cocoa. This includes Farming Program costs and premiums as well as costs for certification and projects with external partners. Not included is the Living Income Differential.

The price we pay for cocoa is determined by the market price. The farmgate price, i.e., the price a farmer receives for the cocoa, is determined either by the local market price, or, in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, by the government. In addition to paying the market price for our cocoa products, we provide farmers in the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program with cash or in-kind premiums through suppliers. We also support the efforts of the governments in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana with a Living Income Differential (LID) of USD 400 per metric ton of cocoa beans. We have purchased our cocoa from Ghana and Côte d’ Ivoire with LID pricing since its introduction in 2019 and will continue to do so.

Food allergies are adverse reactions triggered by the immune system to even the smallest amounts of specific proteins. An increasing number of consumers suffer from allergies. For these consumers a detailed list of all the ingredients used in food products is vital. Lindt & Sprüngli is aware of its responsibility to ensure that all ingredients, including minor concentrations of potential allergens such as hazelnuts and almonds, are clearly communicated to the customer via the ingredient list or the so-called allergen information. In general, there are no dedicated production lines for the many different chocolate specialties produced. Even after careful cleaning between the different production cycles, there remains some risk that traces of allergens may be found in the sequential production lot. Because of this, Lindt & Sprüngli notifies its consumers by printing a warning on the label that, depending on the type of chocolate, the product may contain traces of specific allergens.

Nutritional values of all Lindt & Sprüngli products are labeled on the packaging in accordance with national and international laws. We increase transparency further by publishing information about ingredients and nutritional values online.

No, we do not offer organic chocolates in our product range. However, we aim to promote Good Farming Practices through the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. Good Farming Practices may include: Applying Good Agricultural Practices (GAP): these are agricultural methods that include pruning, pest and disease management, weed management, shade management, and harvest management that are intended to improve cocoa tree health and cocoa production while maintaining ecosystem services such as soil health; Agroforestry; Increasing the efficiency of production methods, including labor allocation, input management, and supporting the adherence to rules and guidance concerning the use of potentially harmful chemicals; Diversifying the farming system by cultivating more than cocoa to enhance resilience of the farmer; Working towards production that does not involve the clearing of forests.

Lindt & Sprüngli uses milk fat as ingredients in some chocolate recipes and selected filling masses. Cocoa butter is the only vegetable fat we use in the production of solid chocolate. In fillings, we use also other vegetable fats such as palm oil or coconut oil.

Yes, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and their fractions are used in limited amounts in certain fillings for our chocolate. Their production under uncontrolled conditions may however be associated with negative environmental and social issues. These include deforestation and conversion of peatlands, biodiversity loss, exploitation of workers, and harm being caused to local communities and indigenous peoples.

The World Wildlife Fund writes that palm oil is a very efficient crop, producing more oil per land area than any other equivalent vegetable oil crop. Globally, palm oil supplies 40% of the world’s vegetable oil demand on just under 6% of the land used to produce all vegetable oils. To get the same amount of alternative oils like soybean, coconut, or sunflower oil you would need anything between 4 and 10 times more land, which would just shift the problem to other parts of the world and threaten other habitats, species and communities. Furthermore, there are millions of smallholder farmers who depend on producing palm oil for their livelihoods.

At Lindt & Sprüngli, we purchase palm oil certified according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and always declare palm oil use on our product packaging. Since 2011, Lindt & Sprüngli has been sourcing 100.0% of its palm oil, palm kernel oil, and their fractions with RSPO Certification. Since 2018, physical supply chain coverage has been secured for all volumes. We achieved our target in 2025 and aim to maintain 100% annually through 2030.

Hazelnuts are a key raw material for Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate products. We source them primarily from Italy and Türkiye.

The supply chain in the Turkish Black Sea region, where approximately 70% of the world’s hazelnut harvest originates, has high risks related to labor conditions. These include the health and safety of farm workers, child labor, and seasonal workers’ working and accommodation conditions. We have long-term relationships with selected suppliers who work with, and have established relationships with, a stable farmer base. As of harvest season 2023, we increased our Turkish hazelnut sourcing requirements and engaged our trusted base of selected suppliers of Turkish hazelnuts to deliver Rainforest Alliance Certified hazelnuts through Segregated supply chains.

In 2025, we have achieved our target and aim to continue sourcing 100% of our Turkish hazelnuts Rainforest Alliance Certified. We aim to maintain 100% annually through 2030.

None of the Lindt, Caffarel, Küfferle, Hofbauer, or Ghirardelli brand products are produced with genetically modified organisms (GMO) ingredients. We will continue this practice as long as non-GMO raw materials are available. Regular tests are performed to monitor these products and ensure compliance with relevant EU and Swiss regulations. Certain flavored sauces of Ghiradelli include GMO ingredients.

Russell Stover is currently not planning to switch to non-GMO products.

Lindt & Sprüngli uses pure cocoa butter as the only vegetable fat to produce our solid chocolates. Fillings may contain other vegetable fats. Milk fat is used in milk chocolate recipes or selected fillings. In this context we would like to point out that none of our products contains hydrogenated oils. For detailed information, it is always best to consult the specific nutritional labelling of the individual product you are interested in.

We address the environmental impact of our packaging through our Sustainable Packaging Initiative. This considers impacts throughout the life cycle of the packaging, from raw material sourcing to designing for recycling. For example, we aim for 100% of our pulp- and paper-based packaging containing wood fiber to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) by 2025. Furthermore, we aim for 95% of global packaging to be designed to be recyclable by 2030. Changes in material composition to (re)design our packaging for recyclability, as well as to use recycled materials, are checked and approved by external laboratories and consultants, for example, for external certification of sorting and recycling compatibility. Food safety aspects are evaluated by external research to ensure that new materials and packaging solutions do not negatively impact our chocolate products.

We continuously and proactively challenge our product portfolio by considering ways to reduce packaging material weight, packaging waste in production, and packaging destruction.

Find more information concerning our packaging initiatives and progress in our latest Sustainability Statement.

Lindt & Sprüngli strongly condemns all forms of child labor and systematically investigates suspected cases of child labor. In agricultural value chains, especially in the cocoa sector in West African countries, child labor remains a persistent and complex challenge. Addressing it requires sustained, collaborative efforts from all stakeholders across the sector.

Lindt & Sprüngli employs a tailored strategy to mitigate child labor risks. Our cocoa suppliers⁠ which implement the Farming Program in countries of origin with a risk of child labor⁠ are required to address child labor risks along the cocoa supply chain by implementing our Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation (CLRMS) guidance. For volumes sourced outside the Farming Program, we rely on the requirements of, and verification through, the Rainforest Alliance certification.

Since child labor is a systemic issue, it cannot be solved on a broader scale solely by engaging individual households and supporting individual children in the supply chain. For this reason, we focus our support to children at the community level by investing in high-risk communities and addressing the root causes of child labor, such a lack of access to quality education, farming labor shortages, and household income constraints. As such, we additionally support direct cash transfers for enrolling children in schools to reduce the risk of child labor as part of our Living Income Program.

These efforts build on our commitment to maintain 100% of our cocoa volume from child labor risk countries as covered by a Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) or another due diligence system that is being rolled out or is implemented, with Mass Balance included, annually between 2026 and 2030.

Since child labor cannot be tackled by individual organizations alone, and requires ongoing efforts to improve and further develop sector responses, we are a member of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) . We also engage in collective action at origin to strengthen access to quality education, such as the Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF) coalition in Côte d’Ivoire which we joined in 2022 and SCALE (System Change Architecture for Learning Excellence) in Ghana.

CLEF is a coalition dedicated to enhancing access to, and the quality of, education in cocoa-growing regions of Côte d'Ivoire by constructing school infrastructure, training teachers in effective educational practices, and engaging parents in their children’s learning. The coalition is led by the government of Côte d'Ivoire in collaboration with the cocoa and chocolate industry and philanthropic foundations. Joining CLEF entails a financial commitment for Lindt & Sprüngli to invest a total CHF 1.25 million to support the CLEF program running from 2023 to 2027, with the aim of impacting the lives of over 4 million children by 2027. The System Change Architecture for Learning Excellence (SCALE) initiative is designed to strengthen learning systems and educational outcomes in Ghana.

For more information, see our latest Sustainability Statement.

As a company that sources agricultural and forest-based raw materials, Lindt & Sprüngli has an intrinsic relationship with nature, and relies on natural ecosystems. In its endeavors to contribute to the protection and conservation of the biodiversity and ecosystems we rely on for raw materials, Lindt & Sprüngli focuses on working towards no deforestation in its supply chains. Conserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems is also one of the main objectives of the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program for cocoa sourcing. We commit to working towards no deforestation in cocoa and our other primary deforestation-linked supply chains (palm oil, soy, and pulp- and paper-based packaging).

Find further information in our latest Sustainability Statement or our No-Deforestation Policy .

Lindt & Sprüngli monitors its raw materials through extensive laboratory testing of cocoa beans to detect possible residues of pesticides. Lindt & Sprüngli's quality and food safety requirements ensure that its entire product range complies with all applicable health and safety standards and is safe to consume.

Lindt & Sprüngli is committed to minimizing the use of synthetic plant protection products in cocoa production. Since the 2025/26 harvest season, we have been sourcing only Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa beans. This underscores our commitment to minimizing the use of synthetic plant protection products through integrated pest management.

Rainforest Alliance certification complements the regulatory system in Ghana, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which controls the use of plant protection products locally.

Rainforest Alliance is one of the world's most renowned non-profit organizations committed to sustainable agriculture and improving the living conditions of small-scale farmers. Rainforest Alliance's standards regarding pesticide use are very strict and define, among other things, integrated pest management, protection of pollinators, protection of water bodies, personal protective equipment, and medical care.

The Group focuses on its near- and long-term science-based climate targets, with the ultimate aim of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050. With these targets, verified by the Science Based Targets initiative, Lindt & Sprüngli aligns its ambitions with the goal of the Paris Agreement. To achieve net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050, Lindt & Sprüngli has set the following targets:

Scope 1 & 2 targets: Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 42% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 from 2020 base year

Scope 3 FLAG targets: Reduce absolute scope 3 FLAG GHG emissions 30.3% by 2030 and 72% by 2050 from 2020 base year

Scope 3 non-FLAG targets: Reduce absolute scope 3 non-FLAG GHG emissions 25% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 from 2020 base year.

Further details on our targets can be found in our high-level Climate Transition Plan.

Yes - as of 2026, Lindt & Sprüngli aims for 100% of its Farming Program cocoa volume to be Rainforest Alliance Certified. The Group will continue to lead with the Farming Program as its Responsible Sourcing Standard for cocoa. At the same time,the Rainforest Alliance seal will gradually replace the Farming Program logo on pack, starting with EXCELLENCE and LINDOR and followed by other permanent stock-keeping units. The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-governmental organization that sets its own Sustainable Agriculture Standard.

Lindt & Sprüngli applies the traceability types defined by the Rainforest Alliance.

No. Lindt & Sprüngli does not fund, conduct or commission any animal experiments.

To date, none of our production sites are halal certified and, therefore, we do not use any halal labels on our packaging. However, some of our products are made without animal products and without alcohol, such as our Lindt EXCELLENCE range of 70%, 70% mild, 85%, 85% mild, 90% and 99% cacao chocolate bars.

To date, we do not have a globally valid kosher certificate, but certain products manufactured by Lindt & Sprüngli USA that are available in the US and Israeli market are certified as milk kosher. However, some of our products are made without animal products and without alcohol, such as our Lindt EXCELLENCE range with 70%, 70% mild, 85%, 85% mild, 90% and 99% cacao chocolate bars.

Store your chocolate tightly wrapped and away from strong odors in a cool, dark and dry place at a temperature of 14° to 20° Celsius / 57° to 68° Fahrenheit, and 40 – 65% Relative Humidity. When stored properly, our products will retain their freshness for many months. Refrigerators are environments with very high humidity, which is not suitable for chocolate due to the high moisture, which can cause sugar bloom. If you decide to store our chocolate in a refrigerator, it is best to put the chocolate in an airtight container and place it in the lower part of the refrigerator. Before unpacking, slowly bring the chocolate to room temperature a few hours before eating.

Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate should be enjoyed slowly and is best served at room temperature (18 to 20° Celsius / 64° to 68° Fahrenheit) to ensure consistency and maintain product integrity.

Lindt & Sprüngli’s “Five Senses” tasting process is similar to that a sommelier would use: sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste. Tasting fine chocolate, just like wine or coffee, is truly an experience to be enjoyed and appreciated.