Requirements and obligations / Food and commodities

A responsible person must be appointed for each food and utility article business. This natural person is responsible for the safety of the foodstuffs or utensils and must have the relevant specialist knowledge.

The Food Act obliges everyone working in the food and consumer goods sector to carry out self-regulation. Companies must ensure that legal requirements are met at all stages of production, processing and distribution. Only foodstuffs that comply with food legislation may be placed on the market.

Compliance with self-regulation must be verifiable to the ALKVW. The self-regulation obligation(Art. 75 para. a LGV) for food businesses includes in particular

• ensuring good procedural practice
• Application of a system for hazard analysis
• Sampling and analysis
• Traceability
• Withdrawal and recall
• Documentation

Official food control does not release those responsible from their duty of self-control. Rather, it serves to uncover weaknesses in self-monitoring and to identify approaches for improvement.

Designations, statements, illustrations, packaging, advertising and information used for foodstuffs must correspond to the facts and must not be deceptive. Art. 12 LGV

Good practice, which includes good hygiene and manufacturing practice, is intended to ensure that only foodstuffs that comply with legislation and are safe are placed on the market.

Industries and associations can draw up guidelines on good practice and submit them to the FSVO for approval.

Overview of guidelines approved by the FSVO

Anyone who sells pre-packaged food to consumers must ensure that all mandatory information can be found on the packaging. This also applies to all foods sold online. Labeling requirements must also be complied with for food that is sold over the counter. Labeling

Health claims may only be made if they are provided for in the FDHA Ordinance(LIV Annex 14) and meet the requirements of this section.

They must refer to the importance of a nutrient or other substance for growth, development and bodily functions or to psychological or behavioral functions or to the slimming or weight-controlling properties of the food or to a reduced feeling of hunger, an increased feeling of satiety or a reduced energy intake.

Health claims that are not listed in Annex 14 of the LIV require authorization.

The Foodstuffs Act obliges everyone who works in the food and consumer goods sector to carry out self-regulation. Companies must ensure that legal requirements are met at all stages of production, processing and distribution. Only consumer goods that comply with food legislation may be placed on the market.

Compliance with self-regulation must be verifiable to the ALKVW.

The duty of self-regulation(Art. 75 para. b LGV) for utensils businesses includes in particular

• Checking the safety of consumer goods
• good manufacturing practice for consumer goods and cosmetics
• Sampling and analysis
• Traceability - for consumer goods, cosmetics and toys
• Withdrawal and recall
• Documentation

Official food control does not release those responsible from their duty of self-regulation. Rather, it serves to uncover weaknesses in self-monitoring and to identify approaches for improvement.

Good manufacturing practice ensures that consumer goods are manufactured and tested in a consistent manner so that they comply with legal requirements.

Reference is made to industry specifications and standards for good manufacturing practice.

Utility articles must be labeled with the basic labeling elements such as the name and address of the manufacturer, batch number, composition, instructions for use and warnings, etc. Labeling

As a general rule, the presentation, labeling and packaging of consumer goods must not mislead consumers.

Utility articles may not be advertised as remedies.

Conformity work is an essential element of FCM self-regulation. The aim is to prove that the FCMs used comply with all food law requirements. Under the specified conditions of use, they may only release substances into food in quantities that are harmless to health and technically unavoidable. FSVO information

The Consumer Goods Ordinance regulates which materials may be used.

A product information file must be available for every cosmetic product that is placed on the market.

The file must contain the following information in particular

• a safety report issued by a qualified specialist;
• a description of the manufacturing method and a declaration of compliance withGood Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

FSVO information

Tattoo inks (tattoo) and inks for permanent make-up must not endanger the health of consumers. Safety criteria(Ordinance on Articles for Human Contact Art. 5) for the inks and requirements for companies can be found in the Ordinance on Articles for Human Contact. FSVO information

The ALKVW has defined the following standard and guideline as recognized rules of technology (legal basis Art. 4 letter u) of the Food Control Ordinance (LR 817.011):

• "Water and water treatment systems in communal swimming pools" - Requirements and supplementary provisions for construction and operation, SN 546 385/9, edition 2023; published by the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects, 8027 Zurich

• Guidelines for the planning, construction, maintenance and operation of outdoor swimming pools with biological water treatment (swimming and bathing ponds), FLL, 2011 edition; published by: Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau e.V., 53115 Bonn

At least one person must be available in every publicly accessible bathing facility who has a specialist license in accordance with the FDHA Ordinance of 28 June 20057 on the specialist license for the disinfection of bathing water in communal bathing facilities. igba aqua suisse

Due to the steady increase in cases of legionnaires' disease, the FSVO has taken various measures and drawn up recommendations in collaboration with the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). These are aimed at the sanitary industry and homeowners, among others, and are intended to help reduce cases of legionellosis.

Legionella and legionellosis - BAG/BLV recommendationsSVGW methodfor testing buildings and drinking water installations forlegionellaLeCo legionellaresearch project