Toblerone Must Remove the Matterhorn From Its Logo Due to 'Swissness' Law

Even if you’ve never tasted a Toblerone, you may recognize its iconic packaging. The honey- and nougat-flecked chocolate bar comes in a triangular box that evokes the Matterhorn peak in its logo. One aspect of that design is about to change; as the Associated Press reports, Toblerone is ditching the mountain on its label in compliance with Swiss law.

Since 2017, Switzerland has enforced strict rules on companies looking to advertise the “Swissness” of their products. For chocolate to be truly Swiss, the milk used to make it must be sourced in the country, as well as 80 percent of the raw ingredients. (This doesn’t apply to cacao, which is hard to grow at higher latitudes.) The processing and manufacturing stages must also be done in Switzerland.

Though it’s owned by the U.S. company Mondelez International, Toblerone was founded in Switzerland, and until recently, most of its production took place there. Last year, the brand announced plans to move some of its business to Bratislava in Slovak, where wages are significantly lower. The relocation will save the company money, but they will no longer be able to feature the Matterhorn on their packaging as a consequence. The Alpine mountain is a national symbol, and its likeness is protected under the “Swissness” law. Toblerone will also change its slogan from “Toblerone of Switzerland” to “Founded in Switzerland.”

The change may be easy to miss, especially compared to the 2016 redesign that removed peaks from the chocolate bar itself. According to the brand, the Matterhorn illustration will be replaced with a similar mountain logo that captures the “geometric and triangular aesthetic” customers are familiar with. And for customers worried about quality: the larger, 100-gram chocolate will continue to be produced in Bern, Switzerland.

[h/t AP]