Croissants don’t always come from Switzerland

After a one-year transition period, stricter regulations on declaring the origin of baked goods are now mandatory for all businesses selling these products, including restaurants and hotels Keystone / Steffen Schmidt

Since February 1, 2025, the country of production must be indicated on baked goods.

Where does the croissant we enjoy with our morning coffee come from? Not always from Switzerland. According to the Swiss Bread Association, imports of baked goods have almost tripled in the past 20 years. As a result, since February 1, the country of production must be clearly displayed in every bakery and retail outlet.

Country of production: mandatory for baked goods since February 2025

Country of production: mandatory for baked goods since February 2025.

The obligation to indicate the country of production was introduced in Switzerland on February 1, 2024. It applies to all businesses that sell baked goods – i.e. retailers and bakeries, but also restaurants and hotels. Businesses had one year to implement the stricter rules, which have been mandatory since February 2025. The country of production must be explicitly stated. A reference such as “Made in Bern” is not sufficient. Products that are declared in accordance with Swissness legislation are an exception. The country of production must be stated for all other products, although there is certainly room for interpretation (see text).

According to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), information on the country of production must be “clearly visible, legible and understandable, for example on a sign on the shelf or, in the case of restaurants, on the menu or a clearly visible sign at the entrance” for baked goods sold openly. One of the reasons for the new rule is the increasing import of baked goods.

The issue with the doughnut

The new regulations are not consistent for products that are only filled or topped in Switzerland. These include sandwich breads and doughnuts, for example. So if dough pieces for doughnuts are imported from Germany and then filled with jam in Switzerland, “Switzerland” may be indicated as the country of production. The law allows this for products that are “sufficiently processed or prepared” in Switzerland. According to the FSVO, this is the case if a product “acquires its characteristic properties or a new product name” as a result of this processing.

After a one-year transition period, stricter regulations on declaring the origin of baked goods are now mandatory for all businesses selling these products, including restaurants and hotels (see box).

Exemplary implementation in retail

When asked, both large retailers and discount chains confirmed that they comply with the regulations. This means that the country of production is usually indicated on electronic price tags on the shelves or directly on the packaging. An inspection by the Swiss public television, SRF, consumer magazine Espresso in various shops confirmed this compliance.

However, Manor Food supermarkets have taken a slightly different approach: according to the company, 95% of the baked goods in each of its supermarkets are made with ingredients from Switzerland. Instead of stating the country of production, Manor labels its products with the location of the supermarket (e.g. Marin-Epagnier).

According to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), this is insufficient – even if the Swiss origin is evident. The country of production must be explicitly stated. However, the FSVO acknowledges that “there are some borderline cases […] where the cantonal enforcement authorities have room for interpretation”. Manor says it has agreed on its labelling approach with the inspection authorities.

Bakeries take different approaches

The Espresso team also visited branches of major bakery chains and found that the declaration of the country of production was not always immediately visible.

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Volg: “For baked goods, a few dough pieces are produced abroad, so we achieve a 96% Swiss share. For bread, we even have 100% Swiss content.” imago / pond5images

Manor (Food Supermarkets): “The proportion of locally produced baked goods with ingredients from Switzerland is over 95%. The remaining maximum of 5% are speciality items from European origin.” imago / chromorange

Migros: “In the baked goods sector, around 95% of products are Swiss-made. The proportion from abroad is very low and is only used for specialities and products that cannot be manufactured by us.” Reuters / Arnd Wiegmann

Denner: “We always source Swiss products wherever possible and only source origin-specific products such as croissants (France) or pizza snacks (Italy) from abroad.” The proportion of foreign open bakery products is around 15%. Genossenschaft Migros Zürich

Aldi Suisse: “Around 80% of our baked goods range comes from Switzerland.” Reuters / Toby Melville

Coop: “Almost all of Coop’s bread and baked goods are produced in Switzerland. For competitive reasons, we do not communicate figures for individual product segments.” Coop

Avec / K-Kiosk: “All fresh baked goods suppliers have confirmed that their products are made in Switzerland.” valora.com

Spar: The company states that 83% of its bread comes from Switzerland. For sweet and savoury snacks, the Swiss share is 60%. imago / sopa images

Caffè Spettacolo: “Around half of the baked goods on offer come […] from Italy. The other half is produced in Switzerland and other EU countries.” valora.com

Pretzel King: “Pretzel pastries (pretzels, Silserli and baguettes) are produced 100% in Emmenbrücke. […] Only the pretzel croissants are produced by sister company Ditsch in Germany, while the butter croissants come from France.” valora.com

Lidl Switzerland: “Over half of our fresh bread comes from Swiss suppliers.” The Swiss bread and baked goods range is supplemented with specialities from the EU. Lidl Switzerland cites a French baguette or a pizza calzone as examples. Reuters / Regis Duvignau

Backwerk: “We currently operate two locations in Switzerland, Bern and Basel. In this start-up phase, we are relying on established supply chains so that the majority of our baked goods come from EU countries. Around 12% of the range is produced in Switzerland.” valora.com

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In one branch of the Kuhn bakery, the labelling was hidden behind a disinfectant dispenser. The company addressed this issue immediately upon being contacted and emphasised its commitment to transparent communication, ensuring that all required declarations are clearly visible.

At the Hug bakery, no indication of the country of production was immediately apparent either. The company has since announced plans to display this information on checkout screens and to review font sizes on these displays.

Some bakeries have taken a more creative approach, opting to declare the origin of their products by providing the bakery’s geographic coordinates instead. Whether this meets regulatory requirements will ultimately be determined by the cantonal chemists responsible for enforcement.

Swiss origin as a mark of quality

The new requirement to declare the country of production has been widely welcomed by Swiss bakeries. The Swiss Bakery Association supports the regulation, stating that “our industry is also affected by a high proportion of imported baked goods”.

Both Kuhn and Hug bakeries view the new rules positively. Kuhn highlights that they contribute to greater transparency, while Hug stresses that the Swiss origin of its baked goods is an important mark of quality.

Translated from German using DeepL/amva/ts