First Toblerone bars without the Matterhorn logo go on sale

Confectioners Modelez International say they were forced to change the design to avoid breaching new Swiss laws restricting the use of imagery that evokes the country’s likeness.

The famous triangular chocolate’s production is moving to Slovakia by the end of the year, and so to comply with Swiss laws the distinctive Matterhorn peak has been removed from the packet and replaced with a generic mountain top.

But images scrutinised by customers online showed that the brand also made some other significant changes along the way.

One of them included the removal of a bear rearing up on its hind legs, which was cleverly hidden inside the Matterhorn design.

The bear reportedly symbolised the Swiss city of Bern – known as the ‘city of bears’ – where the original manufacturing of the bars took place.

Additionally, the packaging now reads ‘established in Switzerland’, rather than ‘of Switzerland’.

The Swissness act – introduced in 2017 – controls strictly the use of Swiss flags, insignia, names and imagery.

Food can be only marketed as ‘made in Switzerland’, if 80 percent of the raw ingredients are homegrown and most of it is made in the country.

A spokesperson from American sweet giants Mondelez said: ‘The packaging redesign introduces a modernised and streamlined mountain logo that aligns with the geometric and triangular aesthetic.’

Company officials added they do not believe that the change of design affects sales.

The Toblerone chocolate bar was invented in 1908 by chocolatiers Theodor Tobler and Emil Baumann.

Source of data and images: metro