- The packaging of Toblerone chocolate bars depicts Switzerland’s Matterhorn in a typical mountain shape.
- U.S. owner Mondelez confirmed that it is preparing to move some production to Slovakia later this year due to Swiss laws on product origin.
- The company said the move would allow it to ramp up production and that some Toblerone bars would still be made in the Swiss capital.
Toblerone chocolate bars with representations of the Matterhorn mountain (back) and the Common Mountain in Geneva (front). The Swiss Matterhorn peak is removed when the production of some chocolate is moved from Switzerland to Slovakia and replaced by a more common mountain under strict “Swissness” rules.
Fabrice Gaffrini | Afp | Good pictures
Toblerone chocolate packaging will no longer feature Switzerland’s iconic Matterhorn mountain as its US owner Mondelez moves some production to Slovakia later this year.
The company will remove the reference to Toblerone “Swiss chocolate” and instead declare, “Founded in Switzerland in 1908.”
This is due to a Swiss law in force since 2017 that requires a set of source criteria to be met in order to advertise a product or service using “Swissness”. Dairy products should be produced exclusively in the country.
Lawmakers say it’s a way to protect the prestige associated with a Swiss product. Symbols of “Swiss” include references to cities such as the flag, Geneva, or the famous mountain in the Alps known for its elegant pyramidal shape.
Mondelez confirmed that it is changing its packaging due to Swiss law as it moves some production overseas.
A Swiss flag flies near the Matterhorn mountain near Zermatt, Switzerland on January 7, 2022.
Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Good pictures
The redesigned bar features a “modernized and streamlined mountain logo consistent with the geometric and triangular aesthetic,” and retains the subtle outline of a bear on a mountain face. Bern, the administrative capital of Switzerland, has a bear on its coat of arms.
Mondelez Toblerone adapts the font and brand logo and includes the signature of Theodor Tobler, the founder of the unique nougat, almond and honey filled chocolate.
Mondelez said Toblerone bars would continue to be produced in Switzerland and that it had invested in its Bern factory to increase production of its 100g bars to 90 million a year.
The changes coming this year will help it meet increased demand and “strengthen the Toblerone brand for the future,” according to a statement to CNBC.
