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WTO notification · SPS

SwitzerlandUpdated: check whether it is now adopted or in force

Food – Switzerland

Official title

Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (Foodstuffs Ordinance) (FSO); and FDHA Ordinance on Genetically Modified Foodstuffs (GMFO)

Switzerland issued an addendum on 29 June 2026 to the earlier SPS notification G/SPS/N/CHE/77. Addenda often report that a measure was adopted, changed, postponed or withdrawn. The measure was first notified on 21 August 2019. The comment period closed on 1 August 2026.

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Source: WTO ePing (opens in a new tab). Summaries by Expodite, which is independent of the WTO.

Published here:

Updated here:

At a glance

Products

All product containing traces of GMO being authorised according to EU Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003

Notifying member
Switzerland
Status
Updated: check whether it is now adopted or in force
Objectives
  • Food safety
Area
SPS: Food safety, animal and plant healthSanitary and phytosanitary measures
Notification type
Regular notification
Document symbol
G/SPS/N/CHE/77Latest notice: G/SPS/N/CHE/77/Add.3
Keywords
Biotechnology, Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Human health, Food safety, Modification of content/scope of regulation

Key dates

Distributed by the WTO
Comment deadline
Closed on 1 August 2026
Proposed adoption
Proposed entry into force

How to comment

The comment period closed on 1 August 2026. You can still raise concerns about the measure with your country's WTO SPS enquiry point, quoting the document symbol G/SPS/N/CHE/77/Add.3; it can take them up with Switzerland.

Find your country's enquiry point on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)

What the notification says

Latest notice (⁨G/SPS/N/CHE/77/Add.3⁩, 29 June 2026)

Ordinance on Genetically Modified Foodstuffs (GMFO)

The modification concerns annex 2 of the GMFO. This annex contains a list of GMO material which is tolerated to be present in food, even though not authorized by Swiss authorities. There will be three new entries into that list: Mais DAS1131, Mais DP51291 and Mais DP910521.

GMO that have been tested and permitted in the EU for food, shall be tolerated in Switzerland as traces in an amount of up to 0.5% m/m. The Swiss system allows for food that is considered not to contain GMO, a contamination of up to to 0.5% m/m of 5 GMOs (Mais NK603, Mais GA21, Mais 1507, Mais 59122 and Soja MON89788). Food containing traces of other GMO than the ones listed above is to be destroyed. The new ruling allows traces of GMO that are permitted in the EU under regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 as food. These GMO are tolerated as traces in an amount of up to 0.5% m/m in food in Switzerland. Notwithstanding the above, all measures possible have to be taken to avoid cross contamination of non-GMO food with GMO. Different authorisation procedures for food or ingredients using GMOs apply in the EU and Switzerland. As these products were produced from a GMO, then separated, concentrated and chemically defined, they are no longer considered as GMO. The authorisation procedure for these substances will be a novel food authorisation, in line with the EU approach.

Notices on this measure

Every notice about this measure published here, newest first. Each one is the notifying member's own text.

  1. AddendumG/SPS/N/CHE/77/Add.3

    Comment deadline: Closed on 1 August 2026

    Ordinance on Genetically Modified Foodstuffs (GMFO)

    The modification concerns annex 2 of the GMFO. This annex contains a list of GMO material which is tolerated to be present in food, even though not authorized by Swiss authorities. There will be three new entries into that list: Mais DAS1131, Mais DP51291 and Mais DP910521.

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)Notified document (French) (opens in a new tab)Notified document 2 (opens in a new tab)Notified document 3 (opens in a new tab)

  2. AddendumG/SPS/N/CHE/77/Add.2

    Comment deadline: Closed on 4 September 2021

    Ordinance on Genetically Modified Foodstuffs (GMFO)

    The modification concerns annex 3 of the GMFO. This annex contains a list of GMO products that may be put on the Swiss market without a specific authorisation by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office. There will be two new entries into that list: Endo-1,4-β-xylanase (EC3.2.1.8) and Phospholipase A2 (EC3.1.1.41).

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)

  3. AddendumG/SPS/N/CHE/77/Add.1

    Comment deadline: Closed on 18 May 2020

    Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (Foodstuffs Ordinance) (FSO); FDHA Ordinance on Genetically Modified Foodstuffs (GMFO)

    The changes concern the labelling requirements for foodstuffs in the Foodstuffs Ordinance (Article 37 (4) and (5)). Foods of animal origin may be labelled with the new wording 'without GMO' if the animals have neither been fed with genetically modified forage nor with products obtained from such material. In addition, the licensing requirements for products obtained from GMOs that are separated from the microorganism, purified and chemically defined, and which are produced in a closed system in accordance with Article 3 letter h of the Containment Ordinance (SR 814.912) (so-called fermentation products such as vitamin B12), will now be governed by the regulations on novel foods (Articles 16-17 and 19 LGV).

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)

  4. Regular notificationG/SPS/N/CHE/77

    Comment deadline: Closed on 20 October 2019

    Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (Foodstuffs Ordinance) (FSO); and FDHA Ordinance on Genetically Modified Foodstuffs (GMFO)

    GMO that have been tested and permitted in the EU for food, shall be tolerated in Switzerland as traces in an amount of up to 0.5% m/m. The Swiss system allows for food that is considered not to contain GMO, a contamination of up to to 0.5% m/m of 5 GMOs (Mais NK603, Mais GA21, Mais 1507, Mais 59122 and Soja MON89788). Food containing traces of other GMO than the ones listed above is to be destroyed. The new ruling allows traces of GMO that are permitted in the EU under regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 as food. These GMO are tolerated as traces in an amount of up to 0.5% m/m in food in Switzerland. Notwithstanding the above, all measures possible have to be taken to avoid cross contamination of non-GMO food with GMO. Different authorisation procedures for food or ingredients using GMOs apply in the EU and Switzerland. As these products were produced from a GMO, then separated, concentrated and chemically defined, they are no longer considered as GMO. The authorisation procedure for these substances will be a novel food authorisation, in line with the EU approach.

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)Notified document (French) (opens in a new tab)Notified document 2 (opens in a new tab)Notified document (French) (opens in a new tab)Notified document 4 (opens in a new tab)Notified document 5 (opens in a new tab)Notified document 6 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Expodite writes its summary from the official record. The notification and the documents it notifies are on the WTO's own websites.

All updates from Switzerland

  1. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

    Revision of the Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Office of Communications on telecommunications installations (OOIT), (2 pages, in German and French). Revision, creation and…

    [Annex 2] Several radio interface regulations (RIR) are amended in line with the latest developments and European harmonization. Following radio interface regulations are amended (784.101.21/ …): RIR0501-33: Private IMT networks in the frequency range 3400 – 3500 MHz (Non-Public Network (NPN))…

    Symbol: G/TBT/N/CHE/306Comments until 13 December 2026

  2. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

    Draft Amendment of the Chemicals Act

    The national poison center provides important services to the public and healthcare professionals in cases of poisoning. However, the center’s funding is not adequately regulated. The current Chemicals Act provides for the designation and financial support of a poison center by the federal…

    Symbol: G/TBT/N/CHE/305Comments until 2 January 2027

  3. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

    Amendment of Annexes 2 and 3 of the Ordinance on Protection against Dangerous Substances and Preparations (Chemicals Ordinance; ChemO)

    Annex 2 ChemO: 1. Harmonized classifications and labelling of substances (24th ATP of the EU-CLP regulation): 38 substances or groups of substances are added to the List of harmonized classifications and labeling of dangerous substances, and 9 existing entries are modified. 2. The latest…

    Symbol: G/TBT/N/CHE/304Comments until 2 January 2027

  4. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

    Draft revision of the ordinance on energy efficiency

    As part of the present revision of the Energy Efficiency Ordinance of November 1, 2017 (EnEV; SR 730.02), adaptations to EU law are being made. Energy efficiency requirements are adapted to EU law in Annexes 1.18 (Local Space Heaters) and 2.2 (external power supplies). The existing exception to EU…

    Symbol: G/TBT/N/CHE/303Comments until 16 November 2026

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