Toblerone packaging will no longer feature the iconic Matterhorn mountain peak. The decision came as Mondelez International, the chocolate’s parent company based in the United States, relocated a portion of the chocolate bar’s production from Switzerland to Slovakia. The decision is consistent with Swiss law, which protects items claiming to be Swiss under the Swissness Act.
It concerns the use of Switzerland’s national flag, national symbols, or proclamations that products are “Swiss-made“. Toblerone packaging will now say “established in Switzerland” rather than “of Switzerland,” according to the Aargauer Zeitung. The act requires that products claiming to be “Swiss made” contain at least 80% raw materials sourced from Switzerland. The raw materials for milk and dairy products must be sourced entirely from Switzerland. Exceptions are made for raw materials and ingredients that cannot be obtained directly from Switzerland, such as cocoa.
National symbols may not be used to promote milk-based products that do not meet these standards. According to Mondelez, the image of the mountain, which stands at 4,478 meters (14,691 feet) and overlooks the town of Zermatt, will be replaced with a more standardized summit. “The packaging redesign introduces a modernized and streamlined mountain logo that aligns with the geometric and triangular aesthetic,” a company spokesman said.
Toblerone’s shape, which is studded with a crunchy almond and honey nougat, is reminiscent of the pyramid shape of the Swiss summit, which currently graces the bar’s packaging.