Novel food and safety requirements

To safeguard food safety in Switzerland, a complex authorisation procedure is required for novel foods. Such products are authorised individually and without an option to renew. 

Foods containing cannabidiol (CBD) are examples of products considered to be novel foods, which can only be marketed with authorisation from the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) or approval from the European Commission. 

Novel foods which have been approved in the EU do not require separate authorisation in Switzerland.

The distinction between therapeutic and food products is not always clear in the case of novel foods and should be clarified on a case-by-case basis.