On 29 March 2023, Switzerland’s government warned against eating several batches of Bauckhof Teff flour because of high levels of Tropane alkaloids. Tropane alkaloids are naturally occurring plant toxins that come from the seeds of other plants found growing among cereal crops. The contamination occurs during harvesting. These substances can trigger acute symptoms such as […]
Mineral oil found in Swiss butter
Recent laboratory tests of butter sold in Swiss supermarkets revealed traces of mineral oil in a number of butter brands, reported RTS. Out of the 13 butters tested, all contained mineral oil at varying concentrations, including organic brands, which in some cases were the most contaminated. The degree of contamination ranged from 11.2 to 26.8 […]
Ticks and lyme disease – it’s time to be careful
As the weather warms ticks emerge in their tiny nymph form. These small blood sucking insects carry diseases, bad ones. April, May, June, July and August are when most people get infected, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Ticks become active when the temperature reaches 7 degrees. In 2023, they have started […]
Swiss government rejects two plans to cut sugar despite rising obesity
This week, Switzerland’s federal parliament rejected two cantonal initiatives to cut sugar consumption, reported RTS. On 27 February 2023, Switzerland’s parliament rejected plans to restrict the sugar content of processed foods and drinks and to require clearer labelling showing the amount of sugar. The proposals were put forward by the cantons of Geneva and Fribourg. […]
Living alone most common way to live in Switzerland
Data published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show the number of single person households continues to rise. Eight years ago there were 1.3 million single person households. The latest figures show there are 1.4 million, a rise of around 10%. This type of household makes up 38.4% of the total, up from […]
Healthy life expectancy rises in Switzerland
Over the ten years between 2007 and 2017 healthy life expectancy rose by 2 years in Switzerland, according to Swiss Medical Weekly (SMW). Healthy life expectancy is the number of years of life without an illness or handicap. In 2007 an average 65 year old man in Switzerland could expect to remain healthy until the […]
Coca-Cola and Rivella to cut sugar in Swiss drinks
Excessive sugar consumption continues to drive high rates chronic disease across the world. Switzerland is no exception. Pressure from the government and health sector yielded some progress on reducing the problem this week, reported RTS. Nine sugary drink makers, including Coca-Cola, Rivella and Ramseier signed an agreement to cut the sugar content of the products […]
Bacteria found in 5% of salads in Switzerland
A study published this week reported finding bacteria in 5% of vegetable and fruit salads collected from restaurants, retailers and caterers in Switzerland, reported RTS. Cantonal chemists sampled 205 salads across the country and found 5% were contaminated to a level presenting a health risk. The samples were taken between May and September 2022. Rather […]
Only 19% of Swiss youth positive about future
After taking a dive during the pandemic, life satisfaction bounced back in Switzerland, according to a recent survey. However, among those aged 18 to 25 life satisfaction has continued to decline, falling from 43% in 2021 to 19% in 2022. The aim of the annual survey is to assess the generation gap in Switzerland. Overall, […]
iPhone bug overloads Swiss emergency services
The latest iPhones and Apple watches automatically call emergency services when triggered by movements typically associated with accidents. False alerts on these devices have been causing emergency service phones to ring unnecessarily, particularly in the canton of Valais, reported RTS. The false alerts are being caused by the devices confusing skiing with car crash movements. […]
