Eating means being aware, not only of nutritional values but of many other parameters. Animal suffering due to particular practices is one of these, and starting July 1st 2025 in Switzerland, consumers have been informed of everything related to the product they are purchasing. Specifically, we refer to the label, which must indicate whether foods of animal origin have been obtained from painful practices such as castration, tail docking, or amputations without anesthesia. Foie gras, a rather controversial dish whose production (not import) has been banned in Switzerland for over 40 years, is also under scrutiny.
Restrictions and New Food Labels
Starting July 1, 2025, Switzerland adopted new regulations that represent a major step toward food transparency and could be adopted by many other countries. The Federal Council approved several ordinances aimed at informing consumers of the suffering endured by the animals they are about to eat. The spotlight is particularly on foie gras, one of the most controversial dishes, which amounts to force-feeding: the livers of geese and ducks are enlarged to ten times their normal size. Switzerland wants supermarket visitors to shop carefully and be aware of the products they choose. Switzerland is not the only country to have adopted similar regulations: the United Kingdom, through the Labour Party, has decided to demonize foie gras. Furthermore, in some regions of Belgium, duck liver production has long ceased, while in Hong Kong it is already being sold as lab-grown.
In less than a month, products such as meat, milk, and eggs will have to be labeled clearly, in the truest sense of the word, and contain detailed information informing consumers of practices that cause animal suffering. "Improved" labels will therefore apply to products such as beef or pork whose animals have undergone procedures such as castration, dehorning, or tooth removal without anesthesia; chicken eggs or poultry whose meat comes from animals decapitated without anesthesia; and cow's milk from animals dehorned painfully. The list also includes frogs' legs, removed without anesthesia, and, above all, foie gras from fattened ducks and geese.
Similarly, the Swiss Federal Council has decided to ban the import of furs obtained through cruel methods. Starting July 1st 2025, all specialized fur retailers will be required to ensure and inform buyers that the products they sell meet the legally required standards. The current law only requires the species to be declared, and according to Swiss authorities, 60% of the shops already inspected were not compliant. There will be a two-year transition period, but non-compliance will result in criminal prosecution.
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