The short answer
Imported ingredients do not always rule out an indication of Swiss origin. As a general rule, at least 80 per cent of the relevant raw-material weight in foodstuffs must come from Switzerland, and essential processing must take place here. Product-specific rules and exceptions apply. For milk and dairy products, all the milk used must come from Switzerland.
The recipe and processing are decisive
The calculation generally concerns the weight of the relevant raw materials, not their number or the seller's margin. The IPI's guidance refers to the recipe and, as a general rule, the flow of goods for the product concerned over a calendar year. The activity that gives the food its essential characteristics must take place in Switzerland.
A table is therefore more useful for practical preparation than a general promise from a supplier. Record each raw material, its proportion by weight, its origin and the processing steps actually performed. Different recipes should not adopt the same origin claim without being checked.
Sources: IPI: Criteria for determining the origin of foodstuffs
Apply exceptions correctly
Natural products that do not occur in Switzerland may be excluded from the calculation where the legal conditions are met. The IPI gives cocoa as an example. Differentiated rules apply to raw materials with insufficient availability. A cheaper foreign supplier does not, by itself, qualify as such an exception.
The Federal Office for Agriculture explains the requirements and refers to the applicable provisions. Milk and dairy products are subject to the specific requirement concerning the Swiss origin of the milk. Do not apply either the industrial 60 per cent rule or a simplified 80 per cent calculation to every food product.
Sources: IPI: Criteria for determining the origin of foodstuffs · Federal Office for Agriculture: Swissness for foodstuffs · Federal SME Portal: Swissness and indications of source
Include origin claims in your brand planning
Meeting the requirements for an ordinary indication of Swiss origin does not, in itself, mean that a special official authorisation is needed. However, responsibility for compliance and the necessary evidence remains with the user of the indication. Trademark registration does not certify every recipe used later.
Before launch, review the name, images and packaging claims together. Also plan how changes will be documented: a new supplier, an additional flavour or relocation of a processing step may make reassessment advisable. Reusing a label should not take the place of reviewing the earlier assessment.
Sources: Federal Office for Agriculture: Swissness for foodstuffs
What you can do now
- Collect recipes, raw-material weights and evidence of origin.
- Clarify exceptions and special rules for the product category.
- Align the name and packaging with the origin you can substantiate.
Frequently asked questions
Does imported cocoa make Swiss chocolate impossible?
Not automatically. Exceptions exist for natural products that do not occur in Switzerland. The other requirements, particularly the relevant processing, must still be met.
Sources: IPI: Criteria for determining the origin of foodstuffs
Is my trademark registration also a Swissness authorisation?
No. A permissible indication of source must match the actual food product. Responsibility for Swissness compliance exists independently of whether the sign used is registered as a trademark.
Sources: Federal Office for Agriculture: Swissness for foodstuffs · Federal SME Portal: Swissness and indications of source