Swiss Nutrition Strategy and Action Plan

📜🔗LINK to the source

1. ANALYTICAL SUMMARY

Context, issues, and target audiences

The Swiss nutrition strategy starts from the observation of the heavy burden of non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases) and overweight/obesity in adults and children, with a major financial impact on the healthcare system. It highlights the central role of eating behaviours, physical activity, and waste in the ecological footprint, estimating that about a quarter of the national environmental footprint is related to food and that 330 kg of avoidable food waste per person per year generates a notable share of environmental burdens. The strategy targets the entire population living in Switzerland, emphasising equality and equity of opportunity, regardless of age, education level, socio-economic status, language, or cultural background. The operational audiences are federal and cantonal administrations, economic actors (food industry, collective catering), educational environments, and civil society.

Operational contributions for the actors

The strategic document sets out six clear objectives (balanced diet, nutritional skills, plant-based share, industry involvement, favourable food environment, reduction of waste), articulated in four areas of action: information/training, framework conditions, coordination/cooperation, monitoring/research. The action plan translates these orientations into ten detailed measures (digital communication, recommendations for children/adolescents, voluntary reformulation, standards for collective catering, voluntary regulation of advertising aimed at children, inter-office and territorial collaborations, international participation, menuCH II survey, data availability). Each measure is described with scope of action, expected results, involved actors, and time horizon (from 2025–2028), providing a directly programmable framework for cantons, cities, municipalities, and partner organisations. The whole allows for the structuring of territorial health promotion plans, collective catering charters, food literacy campaigns, and monitoring systems, with a strong grounding in evidence-based data and existing federal strategies (NCD, Health2030, climate, One Health).

2. KEY POINTS OF THE DOCUMENT

1. The Swiss Nutrition Strategy 2025–2032 is part of the continuity of the NCD strategy, Health2030, and the climate strategy, presenting a vision of universal access to a balanced and sustainable diet for all life stages. (p.4–5, 9)

2. Six objectives structure the national policy: balanced and healthy diet, strengthening nutritional skills, increasing the plant-based share, involvement of the food industry, promotion of a sustainable and health-friendly food environment, reduction of food waste. (p.10)n

3. The four areas of action – information/training, framework conditions, coordination/cooperation, monitoring/research – are detailed with operational priorities (teacher competencies, collective catering, food composition, advertising aimed at children, food monitoring, research projects). (p.11‑14)

4. The OSAV action plan 2025‑2028 translates the strategy into ten concrete measures, with expected results and identified actors, covering targeted digital communication, the development of recommendations for 0‑17 year olds, voluntary reformulation of industrial products, minimum standards for collective catering and voluntary regulation of food advertising aimed at children. (p.8‑12)

5. The monitoring and research system (menuCH II, open data via opendata.swiss and Data Repository OSAV) aims to support a nutrition policy based on evidence and to promote interdisciplinary collaboration between offices, researchers, cantons and NGOs, with an update of databases and free access for the public. (p.16‑17)

3. ACTION PATHS FOR LOCAL ACTORS

1. Integrate Swiss standards for sustainable and health-promoting collective catering into public procurement and specifications for school canteens, nurseries, businesses and social-medical establishments, using the OSAV self-assessment tool to track progress. (p.12‑13 strategy; p.11 action plan)

2. Co‑construct with the cantonal action programmes (PSS) modules of nutritional education integrating sustainable food, physical activity and waste reduction, relying on the updated nutritional recommendations for adults and those to come for children and adolescents. (p.10‑11 strategy; p.9 action plan)

3. Mobilise existing networks (Green Fork, sustainable food charters, ARPS, cities and municipalities) to deploy targeted territorial projects for vulnerable groups (disadvantaged children, people in precarious situations or with low literacy), anchoring them in the national strategy and documenting results via monitoring tools. (p.5‑6 strategy; p.7, 14‑15 action plan)

4. Engage local economic actors (agri-food industry, distributors, commercial catering) in voluntary product reformulation initiatives (sugar/salt reduction, iodised salt, fibres, portions), articulating these efforts with communication actions and cantonal prevention campaigns. (p.12 strategy; p.10 action plan)

5. Use the data made available by the OSAV (menuCH, dashboards, opendata.swiss) to develop local diagnostics, target interventions (neighbourhoods, age groups, socio-economic backgrounds), and evaluate the impact of health promotion actions via indicators shared with federal offices. (p.14‑15 strategy; p.16‑17 action plan)

4. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 

🔍➕ For more information, see the articles referenced by "Health Practices" on the topic of food  ➡️🔗https://pratiquesensante.odoo.com/blog/tag/alimentation-1  on the topic of National Plans ➡️🔗https://pratiquesensante.odoo.com/blog/politiques-10/tag/plan-national-31

1. Swiss nutrition strategy and action plan (simplified presentation) – 

   Summary in French of the objectives 2025‑2032 and the action plan, with a perspective for prevention. https://www.prevention.ch/fr/article/schweizer-ern%C3%A4hrungsstrategie-und-aktionsplan

2. New nutrition strategy: the Confederation focuses on plant-based food – Swissveg, 2024

   Article explaining the central role of plant-based food in the 2025‑2032 strategy, useful for stakeholders wishing to develop "plant-based" projects https://www.swissveg.ch/fr/strategie-suisse-de-nutrition-2025-2032?language=fr

5. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What health problems does the Swiss nutrition strategy primarily address?

   It targets non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal diseases) and overweight/obesity, which are responsible for high costs and are strongly linked to diet, weight, and physical activity. (p.4‑7)

2. What are the six central objectives of the 2025‑2032 strategy?

   Promote a balanced and healthy diet, strengthen nutritional skills, increase the share of plant-based food, involve the food industry, promote a sustainable and health-friendly food environment, reduce food waste. (p.10)

3. How is the action plan 2025‑2028 structured and who implements it?

   It includes ten measures spread across four areas of action (information/training, framework conditions, coordination/cooperation, monitoring/research), planned and implemented by the FSVO in collaboration with other offices, cantons, cities, municipalities, economic actors, and NGOs. (p.3‑7)

4. What concrete tools are planned for collective catering?

   Swiss quality standards define minimum requirements for sustainable collective catering that promotes health, accompanied by a self-assessment tool, guides, training, and exchanges of good practices. (p.12 strategy; p.11 action plan)

5. How is food advertising aimed at children addressed?

   The action plan provides for voluntary regulation by the food sector to limit the advertising of products with an unfavourable nutritional profile to children, relying on transparent guidelines and profile models such as those from WHO Europe. (p.12 strategy; p.12 action plan)

6. What are the main measures regarding data and research?

   The FSVO plans the menuCH II survey to update data on adult eating behaviours and makes its data available through open platforms, dashboards, and publications, in order to support research and political decision-making. (p.14-15 strategy; p.16-17 action plan)

7. How are the cantons, cities, and municipalities involved in the implementation?

   The action plan aims to intensify cooperation with these levels for targeted measures (school catering, access to information, cantonal action programmes), by mobilising existing partnerships (PSS, Green Fork, sustainable food charters). (p.5-6 strategy; p.14-15 action plan)

6. REWRITING IN EASY TO READ LANGUAGE 

Title

Swiss nutrition strategy and action plan.

Context – Easy to Read Summary

• In Switzerland, many people have long-term illnesses such as diabetes or heart diseases.

• These diseases are linked to what we eat and how we move.

• Our way of eating also has an impact on the planet and food waste.

• The strategy aims for everyone to be able to eat healthily and sustainably, regardless of their age or money.

Operational inputs – FALC Summary

• The state provides a clear plan to help professionals act on nutrition.

• It sets simple goals: eat better, more plant-based, less waste, less advertising for unhealthy products.

• It offers tools for canteens, schools, municipalities, and businesses.

• It plans surveys and data to track eating habits and adapt actions.

Key points FALC

• The strategy wants a healthy diet to reduce long-term illnesses.

• It wants people to better understand nutrition and be able to choose their foods.

• It encourages eating more plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains.

• It asks the food industry to offer products with less sugar and salt.

• It supports canteens that serve meals that are good for health and the environment.

• It wants less food waste at home, in restaurants, and businesses.

• It uses studies and data to decide on actions to take.

7. CROSS-ANALYSIS – VALUES OF HEALTH PRACTICES

• Literacy : The strategy provides information tailored to target groups and specific recommendations for children, adults, and professionals, enhancing everyone's skills in nutrition. (p.11 strategy; p.8‑9 action plan)

• Empowerment : By strengthening nutritional skills and access to open data, the document enables beneficiaries and local actors to make more autonomous and informed choices. (p.10‑11 strategy; p.8‑10, 17 action plan)

• Participation : The measures rely on voluntary cooperation with industry, cantons, municipalities, NGOs, and associations, which embeds the implementation in a co-construction logic. (p.5‑6, 13 strategy; p.10, 13‑15 action plan)

• Community health : Collective catering, cantonal programmes, and territorial projects are clearly identified levers for action on collectives (schools, businesses, health establishments). (p.12 strategy; p.11, 14 action plan)

• Ethics : The document emphasises equality and equity of opportunity, environmental impacts, and industry responsibility, without overlooking the issues of targeted marketing towards children. (p.4, 9‑10, 12 strategy; p.12) 

• Human rights : Access to healthy and sustainable food is presented as a necessity for all, with attention to population groups requiring particular support via municipalities and cantons. (p.9‑10 strategy; p.14 action plan)

• Intersectorality : The strategy articulates health, agriculture, environment, climate, social policy and education, with enhanced collaboration between OSAV, OFSP, OFAG, OFEV and civil society. (p.5, 13‑14 strategy; p.3‑4, 13 action plan)

• Partnership : Collaboration models are explicit (standards co‑developed with the catering sector, voluntary initiatives with industry, international networks WHO, FAO, EFSA). (p.13‑14 strategy; p.10‑11, 15 action plan)

• Combating discrimination : The text does not name specific discriminations, but takes into account cultural, linguistic and socio‑economic diversity and equal opportunities in access to healthy food. (p.4, 9‑10 strategy)

8. EVALUATION OF THE RELIABILITY OF THE RESOURCE

• Scientific relevance : The strategy and action plan rely on national data (menuCH, Swiss Health Survey, MonAM), estimates of socio‑economic costs, and references to federal strategies, WHO models and environmental reports. (p.4‑8, 15 strategy; p.3, 5‑7, 16‑17 action plan) The sources are explicit, with updates planned (costs of obesity, NCDs, diabetes), which strengthens validity.

• Operational relevance : The action plan provides concrete, time-bound measures, with expected results, actors, and clear fields of action, directly usable for territorial planning, inter‑sectoral coordination and adjustment of local policies. (p.8‑17 action plan) The resource comes from a competent federal office, making it a solid normative basis for professionals and decision-makers.