Vegan Products in Switzerland

This little guide is for anyone who wants to shop for vegan food in Switzerland for the first time. Be it because they have recently gone vegan, want to cook something for vegan people or are travelling to Switzerland. I hope this brief overview is helpful.

Generally speaking, most ingredients can be found in health food stores or organic markets. Products declared by the Vegan Society are 100% vegan. This means that no animal products were used in the production process either. Products with their own label cannot give this guarantee because they have not been inspected by an independent body. In this case, you have to trust the manufacturer, but in most cases this is not a problem.

Plant milk

Plant milks can now be found in all supermarkets, usually in the non-refrigerated UHT cow’s milk products. However, there are differences depending on the country or market. In some places there are vegan sections, in which case they can be found there. With plant-based drinks, it is worth trying out the different brands and varieties until you find the one that suits your personal taste. There are quite a few differences. Plant drinks with added calcium are dosed so that they contain the same amount of calcium as cow’s milk. Don’t forget to shake.

Tofu & Tempeh

You should find tofu in the chilled section of almost all supermarkets. Depending on where you buy it, it will either be found with the cream cheese or with the vegan ready-made products. The more specialised silken tofu can be found in the Asia section. However, it is not available in all supermarkets. In Switzerland, for example, tempeh can only be found in very large Coop shops or in health food shops. Miso paste can be found in health food stores or large supermarkets. Of course, all these Asian ingredients can also be found in the Asian market.

Soy granules & soy shreds

Soy granules and soy mince are available from Veganz in markets that stock Veganz products. In Switzerland, this is Coop. Unfortunately, they’ve cut out almost the entire range (I hope that will change again). Alnatura also produces soy granules, which you can find in small packages in a few Migros shops. Otherwise you have to order it on the internet. For example, from Mr.Vegan.

Vegan yoghurt

Vegan yoghurt is just as common as plant milk. In terms of taste, there are big differences between soy, oat and coconut yoghurt, which is especially noticeable with Nature yoghurt. They are found among the lactose-free and diet yoghurts.

Yeast flakes

Yeast flakes are a popular and healthy alternative for sprinkled cheese. You can also use them in homemade cheese sauces and when making cheese at home. In Switzerland, they can be found in health food shops, organic food shops and drugstores (mostly from the Dr.Ritter brand). Coop has taken Morga yeast flakes out of its range.

Kala Namak Salt & Liquid Smoke

Kala Namak salt (sulphur salt) is used to imitate the taste of eggs. It is now available in large Coop shops. Otherwise, it has to be ordered on the internet. The same applies to liquid smoke.

Vinegar, wine and juices

Vinegar, wine and juices are not inherently vegan because they are clarified with gelatine. Therefore, it is important to look for the V-label in these cases. Naturally clarified products are usually vegan.

Bread

For vegan bread in Switzerland, you unfortunately have to ask the bakery staff holes in the belly, but usually there are 1-2 loaves. This is because the breads are not labelled and the employees have to look at the internal ingredients list. Moreover, you have to trust that the person knows what to do with the term “vegan”. In cities, the situation is different. If you find a vegan-friendly bakery, they also have vegan sweet pastries. In supermarkets, the packaged bread has a vegan label. For open-faced rolls, you have to ask the mostly ignorant staff.

Ready-made products, cheese & meat

Vegan cheese, vegan meat and other ready-made products are vegan, but not healthy. Since the industry is achieving increasing sales with these products, they are now also available in Switzerland. The assortments of the various supermarket chains differ, which is why it’s worth going on an exploratory tour. In general, the larger the shop, the wider the range.

Cream & mayonnaise

In Switzerland, soy cream can be found with the cow’s milk cream varieties either in the refrigerated section or with the UHT products. In Germany, soy cream is also available. However, you can also use diluted coconut milk or vegan yoghurt. Vegan mayonnaise can be found in the other mayonnaise products.

Sweets

Vegan sweets are rare in Switzerland compared to Germany. The chocolate section in particular leaves a lot to be desired. However, dark chocolate is vegan in most cases. Pralines and chocolate with filling are never vegan, so to speak; except for Torino Noir. Occasionally, vegan products from Germany can be found hidden away on the shelves. For example, Vego chocolate in Coop or Alnatura marzipan in Migros. The Veganz range is now almost limited to snacks. Katjes sweets are always vegetarian and sometimes vegan.

Cosmetics

Vegan cosmetics are becoming more and more common in Switzerland. For example, products from Lavera, Hej, Dr.Bronner, LivVegan, Urtrekram, Alviana, Sante, Naturaline from Coop, Sherpa, and some Weleda products. There are also Lush shops in cities.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 with a sufficiently high dosage (>250μg), cannot be sold in Switzerland by law, as it exceeds the daily requirement of the official recommendation (3μg). However, it can be ordered online. I have written a separate article on the subject of B12, as well as on other vitamins and minerals.

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