Toblerone Is No Longer Swiss Chocolate

It’s a staple around Christmas time, but Toblerone bars are sold all over the world; in over 100 countries. Its iconic packaging and name will have to be changed as the brand’s U.S. owner is moving some production out of Switzerland.

Some of the manufacturing will now move to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava.

For legal reseasons the company has removed the Swissness claim from the front of the Toblerone pack and changed the description 'of Switzerland' to 'established in’.”

Under Switzerland's Swissness Act, which was passed in 2017, national symbols and the Swiss cross are not permitted on products that don't meet "Swissness" criteria.

The act requires food products claiming to be "Swiss-made" to be produced with 80% of their raw materials sourced from Switzerland, increasing to 100% for milk and dairy products. Essential processing must also be done in the country, with exceptions for natural products that cannot be sourced from Switzerland, such as cocoa.

A Swiss government website for small businesses cites "several studies" showing that the "Swiss brand" can represent as much as 20% of the sale price of certain products, and as much as 50% for luxury items, compared with similar goods from other countries.

The "Swissness" legislation aims to protect the value of the Swiss label, according to the website.