Toblerone to change Matterhorn packaging over ‘Swissness’ rule after manufacturing move
Written by ABC AUDIO on March 6, 2023
(NEW YORK) — Toblerone, the triangular-shaped chocolate with Switzerland’s famed Matterhorn mountain immortalized on its packaging, will soon be changing its look to adhere to Swiss legislation.
The candy bar, which is molded to mimic a mountain peak, can no longer be dubbed “Swiss chocolate” after Mondelez, the parent company of Toblerone, moved a portion of its production to a new plant in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.
A spokesperson for Mondelez International, the U.S.-based parent company of Toblerone, which was founded in Switzerland in 1908, confirmed the news to ABC News’ Good Morning America.
The changes are being made to comply with “Swissness” labeling criteria from 2017, which requires companies using “Swissness” to sell products to meet certain criteria, including a mandate that at least 80% of a food item’s raw materials come from Switzerland, or 100% for milk and dairy.
Toblerone is in turn changing its packaging, adjusting its description from “Toblerone of Switzerland” to read “established in Switzerland in 1908.”
Additionally, the chocolate bars, which are made with honey and almond nougat, will no longer display the iconic Matterhorn outline on their logo.
To meet “increasing demand for personalised and diverse products” the spokesperson said in a statement, “We are investing in innovation across our Toblerone product portfolio, marketing and production.”
“The redesign of the packaging introduces a modernized and streamlined mountain logo that is consistent with the geometric and triangular aesthetic,” the statement continued. “The famous hidden bear is retained. The other changes to the packaging also reflect Toblerone’s heritage: the font and brand logo are inspired by the Toblerone archives and include the signature of our founder Tobler.”
Over the last five years, Toblerone has invested significantly in its Bern factory, the home of Toblerone, and according to the spokesperson it will continue to play a very important part in the future.
The chocolate bars themselves are and will continue to be produced in Switzerland, according to the Mondelez spokesperson.
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