Aldi sells meat products from German meat under the Swiss flag

Retailer Aldi Suisse provides various products in its branches with a Swiss flag to emphasize the Swiss origin. As the “Blick” reports, this symbol does not necessarily mean that the products actually come from Switzerland.

Specifically, it concerns so-called “Rauchmöckli” from the Alpina brand: while the price label in most branches shows a Swiss flag, the product itself says that it is made with beef from Germany and Switzerland.

A mistake, the retailer explains to “Blick”. “Actually, there should not be a Swiss flag on the dried meat ‘Rauchmöckli’,” says Aldi Suisse and apologizes for “this misunderstanding”. The information in the system has already been adjusted and the price tags will be replaced “as soon as possible” in the affected branches.

In Switzerland, the Federal Law on the Protection of Trademarks and Attributions regulates whether products may be marked with typical Swiss symbols. In the case of smoked meat, such as the Aldi “Rauchmöckli”, at least 80 percent by weight of the raw materials that make up the product must come from Switzerland. In addition, the smoking must have taken place in Switzerland.

Whether Aldi Suisse actually meets these criteria remains unclear. The retailer does not want to say how much German meat is actually in the “Rauchmöckli”. (dab)