The majority of Swiss sugar can now come from abroad: Beet farmers given green light over fake labeling

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Does the term “Switzerland” really include Switzerland? According to the rule called the 2017 Swiss Rule, in principle, 80 percent of the raw materials of a product of Swiss origin must come from our country. But there is an exception; beet farmers are now benefiting from this.

If the raw material is insufficient, the Swiss rule changes. Specifically: If a product’s self-sufficiency level is below 50 percent, Switzerland’s share in a product should be only half that.

This is now the case for “Swiss sugar”. In order for the origin of sugar to be determined as Switzerland, only 40 percent of the sugar must now come from our country. Meaning: “Swiss sugar” now consists mostly of foreign sugar. For consumers, this is perfect label fraud.

Farmers provide their own data on the exception rule

The exception to the Swiss rule is due to the lousy sugar beet harvest in 2023. Weather conditions and pest infestations have created problems for beet farmers. “Last year was forgettable. It couldn’t have been worse,” says Martin Flury, President of the Swiss Sugar Beet Growers Association.

The Federal Office of Agriculture (FOAG) gave the green light to reduce this rate from 80 percent to 40 percent. They calculate the level of self-sufficiency using a three-year average. Spicy: The federal government obtains the data from the beet farmers themselves, in particular from the statistical service of the Swiss Farmers Union (SBV) Agristat.

When asked, the farmers’ association confirmed this and argued: Agristat also creates food balance, which is the best data available. And he notes: “Agristat has an administrative, technical role and has no influence on the calculation method.”

Chocolatiers are angry

Major Swiss chocolate manufacturers are directly affected by label fraud. Lindt & Sprüngli, for example, “sources all its sugar from Switzerland,” as a spokesperson explained to Blick. In return, chocolatiers pay a high price to Schweizer Zucker AG, which has a monopoly. In return for your money, you now only get 40 percent of the sugar coming from our country instead of 80 percent.

Chocolate giants and relevant industry associations do not want to position themselves critically in public. They vented their anger in several conversations with Blick. There are persistent accusations that Schweizer Zucker AG exploits its monopoly position and charges significantly different prices depending on the company. When Blick encountered this situation, the company did not want to make a statement.

Federal Council in darkness

Even the Federal Council can’t see the sugar mess anymore. The Federal Council responded to the interpellation of Central National Assembly Member Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger (59) on the issue, inter alia, with the following sentence: “The sales prices of Schweizer Zucker AG are unknown.”

For consumers, Lex candy is a slap in the face. Chocolate will become more expensive this year following the recent increase in cocoa prices. We have to dig deeper into our pockets for chocolate; At the same time, in the future we will consume sugar, most of which comes from abroad. “Yes, this can be confusing,” the farmers’ association admits to Blick. They recommend that consumers pay attention to the Suisse Garantie label, as at least 90 percent of it comes from Switzerland.

Source :Blick