The Swiss Federal Council has introduced new rules requiring the appropriate labelling of all animal products produced using "painful procedures".
The aim of this change is to increase transparency in the food industry and enable consumers to make fully informed decisions about purchasing animal products.
What products are covered by the new rules?
Meat, eggs and milk must now be labelled if they come from animals that have undergone painful procedures without anaesthesia. Such practices include horn removal, castration, beak cutting and frog leg removal - common procedures in industrial livestock production. The new rules apply to all companies selling these products, including restaurants.
Imported products and foie gras
While the forced feeding of ducks and geese for foie gras has been banned in Switzerland for more than 40 years, the practice is permitted abroad. The new rules also apply to imported products - foie gras sold in Switzerland will have to be labelled accordingly.
The new law comes into force on 1 July 2025 with a two-year transition period.
Food labelling and animal welfare in Switzerland
Switzerland has also banned the import of fur and fur products associated with "animal cruelty". The Federal Council is also seeking a broader ban on the import and trade of fur, even if it is legally produced. If a ban is introduced, sellers will have to prove that production complies with Swiss animal welfare standards.
In 2023, the Swiss government began promoting a reduction in meat consumption as part of its climate strategy. It emphasised that a plant-rich, low-meat diet is "good for both health and the environment".
Dispute over labelling of plant-based products
Contrary to the trend towards greater transparency, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court recently ruled that references to animal products cannot be used on labels of plant-based products. In an official statement, the court said that the use of words such as "pork" or "chicken" on plant-based products is "misleading". The lower court had previously found that such terms clearly indicate the intended use of the product.
Source: https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/switzerland-food-animals-labeled/
https://www.globalanimallaw.org/downloads/database/national/switzerland/TSchV-2008-EN-455.1-2011.pdf