Food law: What could change for consumers
Switzerland is planning adjustments to 16 ordinances. Clearer origin labelling for honey, broader restrictions on bisphenols and new rules for novel foods are envisaged – none of it has been decided yet.
On 13 October 2026, the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) opened a consultation on a comprehensive revision of food law. The package covers 16 ordinances and is meant to further develop health protection and protection against deception. At the same time, the Confederation wants to align Swiss requirements closely with European Union law.
For consumers, the most important point is at first banal, but decisive: the proposals do not apply yet. The consultation runs until 27 January 2027. Only afterwards will the submissions be assessed, the ordinances revised if necessary and formally adopted. Anyone shopping today will therefore not automatically find new labels or changed packaging.
The draft is nevertheless relevant, because it is intended to close concrete gaps and extend rules that are already known. This would be particularly visible for honey and for materials that come into contact with food.
More transparency for honey blends
For honey from several countries, a general reference to a blend should no longer suffice. The plan is that all countries of origin and their share of the total product must be declared. In doing so, Switzerland adopts European labelling requirements.
The change could improve traceability. Anyone buying honey would see more precisely which countries a blend comes from and how large the respective shares are. This matters above all with regard to protection against deception, because origin information on food can play an important role in purchasing decisions.
The declaration would not, however, be a quality judgement. It says nothing automatically about taste, production conditions or residues. It primarily creates more transparency about composition and geographical origin.
Bisphenols: the proposal goes beyond plastics
Another focus is bisphenol A and other bisphenols classified as hazardous in materials that come into contact with food. Since 2025, a ban on certain applications has already been in force in Switzerland, for instance in plastics, coatings and printing inks. It is now to be extended to adhesives and rubber, among other things.
Bisphenol A is used in various industrial applications and has been at the centre of regulatory debates for years. The current proposal rests on the precautionary approach: not only the food itself but also the materials that come into contact with it are to be regulated more strictly.
Toy safety is also to be tightened under the proposal. Broader bans are envisaged for carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic substances as well as for PFAS and endocrine-active substances. Which transition periods and concrete exemptions would ultimately apply remains open in the ongoing procedure.
Innovations should not reach the market without authorisation
For novel foods – for example products that have not traditionally been consumed in Switzerland or the EU – authorisation remains a prerequisite for placing them on the market. This applies, for instance, to certain insect products or new production methods.
What is new in the draft is a more limited step before market authorisation: under certain conditions, companies should be able to test products with trial participants in order to assess market potential and product design. Safety would still have to be documented and guaranteed.
This is not a green light for an uncontrolled market experiment. What remains decisive is that a product is authorised before regular sale. The planned change therefore does not shift the level of protection; it is meant to make development and testing more structured.
Enforcement decides the impact
Alongside the visible labels and substance bans, the proposal contains a less conspicuous but important point: data exchange between the cantons and the Confederation is to be improved. The aim is more coordinated prosecution of systematic violations of food law.
Whether the revision actually leads to more protection and transparency therefore does not depend on the text of the ordinances alone. Monitoring, enforcement practice and implementation by manufacturers and retailers will also be decisive. For consumers, the most important information for now remains: the debate has begun – the proposed rules are not yet binding.
