Traditional Swiss cheeses in danger

Some Swiss traditional cheeses could disappear from the market, at least as genuine AOC products, according to a report in Switzerland’s top rural magazine “Der Landfreund.” Emmental, for instance, has lost half its export market since 2000 and Swiss production, admittedly recently controlled in a bid to support producer incomes, has dropped in that time from 45,000 tonnes to 26,000 tonnes last year. Swiss plants specialising in Tilsiter are also in trouble. Sales remain static on the domestic market even when prices in retail outlets are reduced by 30%. Another former export-winner for Switzerland, the Parmesan competitor Sbrinz hard cheese, also reports dramatic slackening-off in demand with sales this year from 20% to 25% below former levels.

Tilsiter is perhaps the most disadvantaged in the battle for premium market share because it has no AOC status. But symptomatic of the national cheese sector’s reaction to the present slump is this type’s determination to fight back. Tilsiter Switzerland, the national specialist organisation, starts work this year to create a new brand image for quality Tilsiter made in Switzerland, says managing director Peter Rüegg.

Franziska Borer, director of Emmental Switzerland has already launched her organisation’s campaign for better prices with a government-backed quota halving production as from July this year – a measure which has already resulted in AOC producer prices increasing by 20%.

Meanwhile Sbrinz marketing manager Markus Baumann has arranged over 700 POS tastings in a campaign to increase public recognition of the cheese type which, he is the first to admit, suffers greatly under the superior international marketing and image of direct competitor in the quality hard cheese market, Italian Parmesan.