Toblerone chocolate to lose 'Switzerland' tag

World Saturday 25/June/2022 08:40 AM
By: DW
Toblerone chocolate to lose 'Switzerland' tag
Toblerone has always used its 'Swissness' as a selling point

Toblerone is to lose the "of Switzerland" label from the front of its packaging after a decision to open a production site for the chocolate in Slovakia. The brand was established in 1908 in the Tobler family factory in Bern. The triangular chocolate — with a shape reminiscent of Swiss Alpine peaks — has been produced in the Swiss capital Bern since then.

Why is it being made somewhere else?

Toblerone's owner, US confectionary giant Mondolez, says it's opening a new production line in the eastern European country "in response to growing demand."

The company told the AFP news agency it would continue to invest in the original Bern plant. It said the launch of a production line in Slovakia would also unlock significant capacity at the site in Bern. Mondolez already makes Milka and Suchard chocolates in Slovakia.

Mondolez said the move would eventually allow it to "manufacture millions of additional bars."

However, the fact that it will no longer be produced exclusively in Switzerland means that, under Swiss law, Toblerone can no longer describe itself as Swiss.

The company says it will change the wording on its packaging well in advance of the production shift from 2023. The new design will simply say that Toblerone originated in Switzerland.