Toblerone to remove Matterhorn mountain from packaging as production shifts to Slovakia

06 Mar 2023 --- Swiss chocolate bar Toblerone will soon remove the iconic Matterhorn from its packaging, according to the brand's owner Mondelēz International. As the company moves product production from Switzerland to Slovakia, strict rules prohibiting the use of Swiss characteristics to promote milk-based products produced outside of Switzerland forces the removal of the mountain from Toblerone’s packaging.

“To unlock future growth and meet demand we are increasing our production capacity and investing into our manufacturing sites at Bern and Bratislava in Slovakia,” a Mondelēz spokesperson tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Bern is an important part of our history and will continue to be so for the future. The investment will unlock significant capacity at our Bern site which is the home of Toblerone, and means millions more tablets can be made every year, in the medium to long term. We will introduce some limited Toblerone production to Slovakia.”

The new Toblerone packaging is to feature “a modernized and streamlined mountain logo that aligns with the geometric and triangular aesthetic.”

Managing Swissness
The Swissness Act of 2017 covers the use of Swiss symbology on product labeling. To qualify to use such symbols, food products must use at least 80% of raw materials originating from Switzerland.

The exception to this rule is dairy products, which must use 100%. However, products that cannot be sourced in Switzerland, such as cocoa, are not bound by this rule.Strict laws covering Swiss imagery will prohibit Matterhorn imagery on the product as production shifts from Switzerland to Slovakia.

“For legal reasons, the changes we’re making to our manufacturing mean we need to adjust our packaging to comply with Swissness legislation,” says the spokesperson.

“An evolved visual identity is being unveiled through updated packaging that includes a distinctive new Toblerone typeface and logo that draw further inspiration from the Toblerone archives and the inclusion of our founder, Tobler’s, signature.”

Toblerone is also changing the wording on its packaging, changing “from Switzerland” to “established in Switzerland.”

These changes will take effect at the “end of 2023.”

Mondelēz International’s website states, “it is said that Toberlone’s triangular shape was inspired by Theodor Tobler’s mountainous homeland, in particular the Matterhorn.” 

Toblerone changed its design in 2016, altering this triangular shape into a flatter version. Spacing out the chocolate peaks reduced costs but drew the ire of consumers, causing Toblerone to climb down from the decision and restore the original design in 2018.

Shifts in the chocolate space
Similar moves have hit the shelves recently, as Cadbury’s Dairy Milk bars and Frito-Lay’s Doritos are among the snacks hit by the UK’s ongoing “shrinkflation,” in which shelf-stable food brands are downsizing the size or quantity of their products while keeping them at the same price.

Mondelēz International’s chocolate brands have been thriving. The company released its full-year 2022 results, showing growth in volume and revenue across markets. The company focused on its chocolate and biscuit brands as the resilience of snacking outgrew inflation troubles.

This came after the food giant sold its chewing gum brands in order to focus on generating 90% of its revenue in its chocolate and biscuits business.

By James Davies

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