VOLRO THE HONEST CRACKER FROM BASEL.

The Basel physician Dr. Adolf Roos gained international recognition with his study "Dental Caries in Children of Goms". After the Goms valley became accessible via the Furka railway, he documented the connection between altered eating habits, a decrease in physical strength, and significantly worse dental health. His findings formed an important scientific basis for the development of VOLRO. For his research, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Geneva and became an honorary member of the Royal Society of Medicine in London.

On May 8, 1928, Dr. Adolf Roos and Karl Jakob registered the brand VOLRO in the Swiss Commercial Register. This gave one of the first Swiss wholemeal crackers official brand protection.

In the 1920s, brand registration was of great economic importance. It protected the name and origin of a product and highlighted its economic value.

Caption: Original entry of the VOLRO brand in the Swiss Commercial Register of May 8, 1928. On the same page are brand entries from Patek Philippe as well as the Basel chemical industry with its aniline dyes.

The well-known Liestal artist and poster graphic designer Otto Plattner (1886–1951) designed the first advertising poster for the introduction of VOLRO with the slogan: "Whoever chews their bread well as a child builds strong teeth for old age." The reduced, timeless depiction of the child still gives the poster a special appeal today and makes the message universally understandable.

Caption: Historical VOLRO advertising poster by Otto Plattner for the market launch in 1928.

Wholemeal bread gained recognition through published studies and was acknowledged as a legitimate indulgence. From the 1930s onwards, scientific studies made wholemeal widely known beyond reform circles. Wholemeal bread was now considered a high-quality treat instead of mere diet food. During this time, VOLRO developed into an exclusive wholemeal rye cracker and a social luxury item, no longer just a diet food. Wholemeal rye crackers became a social luxury good.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, eating habits changed fundamentally. To ensure the supply of the population, grain was almost completely milled in Switzerland. The wholemeal bread, which had been valued until then, thus lost its special status, while rationing made the production of many specialities more difficult. The production of VOLRO increasingly faltered and was discontinued in 1942.

With the death of Dr. Adolf Roos in 1974, Switzerland lost one of the most important pioneers in nutrition and dental medicine. His commitment to a healthy, whole-food diet and his scientific findings continue to shape our understanding of nutrition today. The idea of VOLRO, developed together with Karl Jakob, lives on; today as then, as a combination of health, quality, and enjoyment.

To mark the 270th anniversary of Karl Jakob Nachf. von J.J. Steiger sel. Erben AG, Jakob's Basler Leckerly re-launched the historic brand VOLRO. The three varieties Rosemary, Caraway and Fleurs des Alpes were presented at the market launch. Almost 100 years after its invention, VOLRO once again stands for traditional bakery craftsmanship, high-quality Swiss ingredients and contemporary indulgence. The historical reappraisal of the brand was further enriched by the research of Basel historian Isabel Koellreuter, author of the standard work Brot und Stadt (Bread and City).

With VOLRO Fleurs des Alpes, Jakob's Basler Leckerly wins the Innovation Award at the Genusswoche Basel 2024. The award recognizes the successful combination of almost 100 years of history with contemporary indulgence.