The image of the iconic Alpine mountain, the Matterhorn, will soon disappear from the packaging of Toblerone chocolates. The manufacturer Mondelez will soon move part of its production to the Figaro chocolate factory in Bratislava, which today bears the name of its global owner.
In this case, Swiss laws do not allow the use of national symbols in marketing. The Matterhorn on the well-known logo of the chocolate bar with pieces of almonds and honey will be replaced by a more general representation of an Alpine mountain.
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"The new packaging design features a modernised and simplified mountain logo consistent with a geometric and triangular aesthetic," a Mondelez spokesperson says. The packaging will now read "based in Switzerland" instead of "from Switzerland".
According to Swiss law, the national symbols of Switzerland can only be displayed on dairy products produced exclusively in the country.
A food product can be labelled as Swiss if at least 80 percent, or 100 percent in the case of dairy products, of the commodities used come from Switzerland, and the main production takes place in the country.
Toblerone chocolate has been produced since 1908 in the Swiss capital of Bern, whose symbol is a bear hidden in the image of the Matterhorn on the bar's packaging.
The name of the iconic chocolate bar was created by combining the last name of the bar's inventor, Theodor Tobler, and the word torrone, which refers to a nougat confection with roasted almonds, mainly consumed at Christmas in southwestern Europe.
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Mondelez still counts on Switzerland in the future. Over the last five years, the Bern factory has made investments to increase production capacity. Mondelez intends to invest in the coming years, allegedly pouring tens of millions of euros into the factory.
The American company obviously sees a future in the Bratislava factory as well. In 2021, it announced an investment worth €4.5 million. The factory underwent modernisation and increased the production capacity of chocolate mass.
The Bratislava factory has an advantageous geographical location, workforce, and tradition.
