Requirements and obligations / Food and utility articles

For each food and commodity establishment, a responsible person must be designated. This natural person is responsible for the safety of the food or commodity and must have the appropriate expertise.

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

It must be possible to demonstrate compliance with self-monitoring to the Food and Veterinary Office. The obligation of self-monitoring (Art. 75 para. a LGV) for food establishments includes in particular

• ensuring good practice
• Application of a hazard analysis system
• Sampling and analysis
• traceability
• Retrieval and recall
• Documentation

Official food inspection does not relieve those responsible of their duty to self-monitor. Rather, it serves to reveal weaknesses in self-monitoring and to point out approaches for improvement.

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

Good practice, which includes good hygiene and manufacturing practices, is intended to ensure that only food that complies with legislation and is safe is placed on the market.

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

Overview of FSVO-approved guidelines

Whoever supplies pre-packaged food to consumers must ensure that all mandatory information can be found on the packaging. This also applies to all food offered on the Internet. Labelling obligations must also be complied with for foods without packaging.  Labelling

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

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

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

The Lebensmittelgesetz obliges everyone involved in the food and utility articles sector to self-monitor. Businesses must ensure that legal requirements are met at all stages of production, processing and distribution. Only utility articles that comply with food legislation may be placed on the market.

Compliance with self-monitoring must be able to be demonstrated to the Food and Veterinary Office.

The obligation for self-monitoring (Art. 75 para. b LGV) for utility articles businesses includes in particular:

• testing the safety of the articles of daily use
• Good manufacturing practice for consumer articles and cosmetics
• Sampling and analysis
• Retraceability - for consumer goods, cosmetics and toys
• Return and recall
• Documentation

Official food inspection does not release those responsible from their duty to self-monitor. Rather, it serves to reveal weaknesses in self-monitoring and to point out approaches for improvement.

Good manufacturing practice ensures that commodities are manufactured and tested in a consistent manner to meet regulatory requirements.  

For good manufacturing practice, reference is made to industry specifications and standards.

Utility articles must be labeled with the basic labeling elements such as manufacturer name and address, lot number, composition, directions for use and warnings, etc.  labeling and information

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

Utility articles may not be advertised as cures.

Conformity work is an essential element of FCM self-monitoring. It involves proving that the FCMs used comply with all food law requirements. Under the specified conditions of use, they may release substances to food only in quantities that are harmless to health and technically unavoidable.  FSVO-Information

The Bedarfsgegenständeverordnung 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, in particular, the following information:

• a safety report issued by a qualified professional;
• a description of the manufacturing method and a statement of compliance with good manufacturing practice (GHP or Good Manufacturing Practice, GMP).

FSVO-Information   

Tattooing colors (tattoo) and colors for permanent makeup must not endanger the health of consumers. Safety criteria (Verordnung über Gegenstände für den Humankontakt Art. 5) on the colors and requirements for the establishments can be found in the Verordnung über Gegenstände für den Humankontakt.  FSVO-Information

The Food and Veterinary Office has defined the following standard and guideline as recognized rules of technology (legal basis Art. 4 Bst. u) of the Lebensmittelkontrollverordnung (LR 817.011):

• "Water and water treatment plants in communal bathrooms" - Requirements and supplementary provisions for construction and operation, SN 546 385/9, 2023 edition; Published by: Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects, 8027 Zurich

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

In every publicly accessible pool, at least one person must be available who has a professional license in accordance with the  Verordnung des EDI vom 28. Juni 20057 über die Fachbewilligung für die Desinfektion des Badewassers in Gemeinschaftsbädern.    igba      aqua suisse

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

Legionella and legionellosis - FOPH/FSVO recommendationsSVGW method for testing buildings and drinking water installations for legionellaResearch project Legionella LeCo