Compliant Always
Get in touch

Selling consumer products in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the Foodstuffs Act covers food and many consumer articles, from cosmetics and toys to textiles and kitchenware. Chemicals, electrical products and other goods have their own acts. The cantons enforce food law through cantonal chemists, and federal offices handle import, chemicals, electrical safety, radio equipment and alcohol tax. Labels use an official language.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Food and utility articles
Foodstuffs Act (LMG) and LGV; FSVO
Chemicals
Chemicals Act and ChemV; Notification Authority at the FOPH
Other products
Product Safety Act (PrSG); SECO coordinates
Electrical and radio
ESTI for low voltage; OFCOM for EMC and radio
Alcohol tax
FOCBS (BAZG) for spirits and beer
Label language
German, French or Italian

By product

What each kind of product has to meet in Switzerland.

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Which act covers the product: food law, chemicals law, product safety or a sector ordinance? Read more
  2. 2Who enforces it: the canton or a federal office? Read more
  3. 3Which official language does the label or instruction need? Read more
  4. 4Is the product already on the EU market, and does that help it into Switzerland? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

How Swiss product rules work

Which act covers which product, and who answers for it.

  • The Foodstuffs Act covers food and utility articles: food contact materials, cosmetics, tattoo inks, clothing and textiles, toys, candles, lighters and joke articles, aerosols and furnishing articles (LMG Articles 4 and 5).
  • Businesses check their own products under self-supervision; food and utility-article businesses name a responsible person with a business address in Switzerland (LMG Article 26; LGV Article 73).
  • Manufacturers classify, package and label chemicals themselves, and hazardous products are notified to the Notification Authority for Chemicals (ChemA Article 5; ChemV Article 48).
  • Products without more specific federal rules fall under the Product Safety Act, which asks that they be safe in normal and foreseeable use (PrSG Articles 1 and 3).

How we help: Compliant Always works out which of these acts apply to your product and keeps the documents behind each one together. Ask about this

Enforcement

Who checks products, and where.

  • The cantons enforce food law inside the country, through cantonal enforcement authorities led by cantonal chemists; the Confederation enforces at import, export and transit (LMG Articles 38 and 47).
  • The FSVO supervises enforcement and decides with the canton on public warnings, which it publishes.
  • SECO coordinates enforcement of the Product Safety Act and supervises market surveillance (PrSV Articles 3 and 25).
  • The ESTI enforces low-voltage safety, OFCOM electromagnetic compatibility and radio equipment, and the FOCBS spirits and beer tax (NEV Article 4).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the documents an inspector asks for with each product and lot, dated. Ask about this

Languages

Which language a label or instruction needs.

  • Food labels and information on utility articles are in at least one official language of the Confederation; another language is allowed only exceptionally (LGV Articles 36 and 47).
  • Chemical product labels are in at least one official language of the place where the product is supplied (ChemV Article 10).
  • Under the Product Safety Ordinance, instructions are in the official language of the region of use, and text warnings in them in all three official languages, or as symbols (PrSV Article 8).
  • Technical documents for authorities are generally accepted in an official language or English (PrSV Article 10).

How we help: Compliant Always reads your labels and instructions against the language rule that applies and shows what is missing. Ask about this

EU products and market access

How rules made for the EU market carry over.

  • SECO says products lawfully on the EU market may be placed on the Swiss market under the Cassis de Dijon principle, with a negative list of exceptions; food not fully meeting Swiss rules needs an FSVO authorisation.
  • The Mutual Recognition Agreement with the EU recognises conformity assessment results for the product sectors it covers (SECO).
  • Anyone placing a product on the Swiss market is liable for its conformity, even where a third party carried out the assessment (SECO).
  • The FSVO says food from the EU generally needs no certificate under the bilateral agreements.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps your EU documents with each product, so they can be shown alongside the Swiss ones. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
BrandThe product sold under its name, and what its label and claims say.The rules that apply, with the paperwork behind each, in one place.
ManufacturerMaking the product to the rules, and the evidence that it was.Specifications, test reports and declarations ready for each customer's form.
ImporterProducts brought into Switzerland; under several ordinances it counts as manufacturer.Suppliers' documents read and dated before the goods arrive.
Responsible personFood and utility-article businesses name one with a business address in Switzerland (LGV Article 73).The documents it may be asked for kept in one place.

Cantons

Federal acts and ordinances set the rules. Inside Switzerland the cantons enforce food and utility-article law, each through a cantonal chemist who heads the cantonal enforcement authority; the Confederation enforces at import, export and transit (Foodstuffs Act, Articles 38, 47 and 49).

Labels must be in at least one official language: German, French or Italian. Some rules ask for the language of the place of sale, which differs between cantons.

Questions businesses ask

Do EU product rules apply in Switzerland?
Switzerland has its own acts and ordinances, several of which refer to EU texts, such as the cosmetics annexes and the Toy Safety Directive. SECO says the Cassis de Dijon principle and the Mutual Recognition Agreement help products already on the EU market.
Which law covers food and consumer articles?
The Foodstuffs Act (LMG) and the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (LGV), with FDHA ordinances for food information, supplements, cosmetics, toys and food contact materials.
Who enforces food law?
The cantons, through cantonal enforcement authorities led by cantonal chemists. The Confederation enforces at import, export and transit, and the FSVO supervises.
Which language must a label be in?
At least one official language: German, French or Italian, for food and utility articles. Some rules ask for the language of the place of sale, and the PrSV asks for text warnings in instructions in all three.
Who handles chemicals and cleaning products?
The Notification Authority for Chemicals, attached to the FOPH, receives notifications for the FOEN, FOPH and SECO (ChemV Article 48).
Who handles electrical and radio products?
The ESTI for low-voltage safety and OFCOM for electromagnetic compatibility and radio equipment. The FOEN's Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance sets substance limits.
Who collects alcohol tax?
The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS, BAZG), which levies spirits tax and beer tax. Wine is not taxed.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Switzerland?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Switzerland and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

Get in touch