Our Quality Promise

Quality at Ceres is not a marketing term. It is a result — the outcome of decisions made at every single step of the manufacturing process. Decisions for craftsmanship instead of machinery. For time instead of speed. For the complete spectrum of efficacy instead of the isolated active ingredient.

What sets a Ceres medicinal product apart from other plant preparations can be described in four principles — four pillars that together support what we understand by true-to-the-plant nature quality.

Less, more conscious, more consistent. That is our conviction.

I — Plant Quality

True-to-the-Plant Nature Quality

It all begins with the plant. Ceres sources exclusively plants from biodynamic cultivation according to Demeter standards or from controlled wild collection. No synthetic fertilisers, no pesticides, no compromise on origin.

The harvest time is crucial: every plant is harvested at the ideal stage of development — when its active powers are at their fullest. For example, St John's Wort is harvested about two-thirds in bud, one-third in bloom, at the summer solstice. The harvesting is done exclusively by hand. Not out of romanticism, but because machine harvesting accelerates the oxidation process, which breaks down the active ingredients already within the first minutes after harvesting.

II — Handcraft

Carefulness in the Process

After harvesting follows cleaning, sorting and cutting — all done by hand, by experienced staff. This step is slow. It is labour-intensive. And it is indispensable.

Because speed is the enemy of plant quality. Research by the Ceres laboratory team has shown: just 30 minutes of air exposure after grinding can reduce the antioxidant activity of a fresh plant tincture by up to 44 percent — depending on the plant. Slow, careful processes prevent this oxidation and preserve the vitality of the fresh plant.

III — Mortar Process

Patented Process

The heart of Ceres manufacturing is a patented grinding process developed by Dr Roger Kalbermatten in the 1980s. In a specially designed, closed mill, the fresh plants are ground rhythmically and gently — without heating, with minimal air contact, in the presence of the extraction alcohol.

This process protects the phenolic compounds from oxidation, preserves volatile active ingredients, and maintains the complete spectrum of the plant's efficacy. It is not designed for higher output, but for the highest quality of the macerate — a fundamental difference from industrial manufacturing methods.

IV — Maturation

Multi-Year Quality

After maceration, each Ceres mother tincture matures over several years in temperature-controlled dark rooms. Not as stock — as an active process.

Like a wine gaining balance and depth over time, the macerate unfolds its full spectrum during this resting period. Volatile, unstable compounds find their equilibrium. The tincture becomes rounder, deeper, more complete. Only after this maturation time does a Ceres preparation leave production — finished when the plant is ready, not when the calendar demands.

The four pillars are not independent measures. They interlock: top-quality plant material is of little use if the process damages it. Careful handwork loses its value if the grinding process generates heat. The mortar process reveals its potential only through maturation.

Quality at Ceres is not a characteristic — it is the result of a consistent system.

All Ceres medicinal products are manufactured according to the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of Switzerland (HAB) regulations and are authorised in Switzerland. In Germany, they are registered as homoeopathic medicinal products. For individual therapy according to the prescribing healthcare professional.