Switzerland Raw Milk Laws & Regulations

Raw milk (Rohmilch, lait cru, latte crudo) is sold across Switzerland directly from farms, mostly through self-service vending machines. SWI swissinfo.ch reported around 400 machines in 2024, many of them made by Brunimat in St. Gallen, the first European manufacturer of raw milk dispensers. Switzerland is also home to some of the world's best-known raw milk cheeses.

Is raw milk legal in Switzerland?

Yes. Swiss law permits raw milk to be sold to consumers and regulates it through labeling. The Federal Department of Home Affairs ordinance on food of animal origin (VLtH, SR 817.022.108) defines raw milk in Article 32 as milk not heated above 40°C and not given any treatment with a similar effect. Article 38 sets the information that must accompany it.

Labeling rules

When raw milk is sold prepackaged, the label must state the storage temperature, that it is raw milk which must be heated to at least 70°C before consumption, and "vor Licht geschützt aufbewahren" (store away from light). Under the hygiene ordinance (HyV, SR 817.024.1, Article 47), prepackaged raw milk sold directly to consumers must also be mechanically cleaned.

When raw milk is sold loose, including from a vending machine, the seller must inform buyers in a suitable form that the milk is not ready to drink and should be heated to at least 70°C, and must give its shelf life and storage conditions. On many machines this information appears on a blue sticker. The Canton of Zurich's 2026 guidance advises storing raw milk at 5°C or below and using it within three days.

Raw milk cheese

Raw milk is the foundation of Swiss cheesemaking. The federal specification for Le Gruyère AOP states that the cheese milk "ne doit avoir subi aucun traitement" (must not have undergone any treatment), and many other alpine and mountain cheeses are made the same way.

Finding raw milk in Switzerland

Farm vending machines are common in dairy regions and alpine villages, often beside honesty-box farm shops selling eggs and cheese. Machines and farms are listed at raw milk in Switzerland. For more on the machines, see Raw Milk by the Liter: Switzerland and Austria's Vending Machine Culture and How to Find a Raw Milk Vending Machine in Europe.