Travelling gluten free in Switzerland

Are you going on a holiday to Switzerland and looking for the best gluten-free spots? Look no further! We have gathered all necessary information for gluten free in Switzerland in one easy overview.

German coeliac dietary explanation

English:

I am suffering from coeliac disease and therefore because of medical reasons I am not allowed to eat any foods which contain gluten-containing cereals or products of these.

German:

Ich leide unter Zöliakie und darf daher aus medizinischen Gründen keine Lebensmittel essen, die Gluten enthalten oder aus glutenhaltigen Zutaten hergestellt wurden.

English:

This means:

No products from wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut and oats as well as products of these like flour, semolina, breadcrumbs, bread, pastry, noodles, dumplings, sauces, cakes, wafers, etc.

German:

Das heisst:

Keine Produkte aus Weizen, Roggen, Gerste, Dinkel, Kamut und Hafer sowie Produkte aus diesen, wie Mehl, Griess, Paniermehl, Brot, Gebäck, Nudeln, Knödel, Saucen, Kuchen, Waffeln, usw.

English:

Are there any dishes on your menu which are suitable for me or can you prepare a meal without above mentioned foods e.g. to use maize starch or potato flour for the sauce and to prepare the meat, the fish or vegetables without flour or breadcrumbs?

German:

Gibt es Gerichte auf Ihrer Speisekarte, die für mich geeignet sind oder die Sie bei der Vorbereitung einer Mahlzeit ohne die oben genannten Lebensmittel zubereiten können? Können Sie als Alternative Sauce auf Mais- oder Kartoffelmehl nutzen und das Fleisch, Fisch oder Gemüse ohne Mehl oder Paniermehl zubereiten?

English:

It is also important to use clean kitchen equipment and prepare food in a clean area in the kitchen.

German:

Es ist auch wichtig, dass bei der Zubereitung darauf geachtet wird, dass die verwendeten Küchenutensilien und die Küchenbereiche für die Zubereitung der Speise nicht durch glutenhaltige Stoffe verschmutzt sind.

English:

In doubt, please consult the person concerned. Thank you!

German:

Im Zweifel wenden Sie sich bitte an die betreffende Person. Vielen Dank!

Where to buy gluten-free food in Switzerland

A wide range of gluten-free products can be found in shops called “Reformhaus”, “Naturkostladen” or “Bioladen”. Even most supermarket chains and drug stores offer groceries suitable for people with gluten intolerance. Some also carry their own gluten-free brand like Coops’s “free from!” or Migros’s “AHA”. However, the number of gluten-free products differs from location to location. In smaller supermarkets, there might be a significantly smaller variety.

In Switzerland, you can find numerous chains of organic grocery stores or “Bioläden” with many different names. The list below shows you the most common ones:

  • Bio Local (Zurich Airport)
  • Alnatura

The following supermarkets and drug stores sell gluten-free groceries:

  • Migros
  • Coop
  • Aldi
  • Lidl
  • Müller Drogeriemarkt
  • Spar
  • Denner
  • Manor

In general, the following gluten-free brands are most commonly found in Switzerland:

  • Aha! – Careful, aha! and free from are general allergy friendly labels. So make sure it has a red note ‘glutenfrei’ for aha!-products and an orange one ‘ohne/sans Gluten’ for free from. You can find the aha!-products in Migros and the ‘free from’-products in Coop. They often are gluten-free and lactose-free (lactose-free is indicated by a blue ‘Laktosefrei’ or ‘ohne/sans Laktose’ sticker
  • Free from
  • Alnavit
  • Bauckhof
  • Hammermühle
  • Schär

Sometimes, “gluten-free” bread or “potato” bread is sold in common bakeries. Unfortunately, these shops often cannot guarantee that there are no traces of gluten in their products. However, there are more and more chains of completely gluten-free bakeries in Switzerland selling baked goods either in local shops or via the Internet.

If you want to purchase from these bakeries via the Internet, you can order either by phone or by e-mail.

These are the biggest gluten free bakeries in Switzerland:

  • Gerig Bäckerei
  • Bäckerei Imholz AG
  • Jovi‘s glutenfreie Bäckerei
  • Glutenfrei Geniessen
  • Glutenfreie Welt Husic
  • Beck-Café Steiner & Co
  • Jackie’s – die glutenfreie Bäckerei

Gluten-free restaurants in Switzerland

The Swiss Coeliac Society has an official list with gluten-free Restaurants and Hotels. Please consult the Society to get the list.

Also in most upper class Restaurants you can have a gluten-free meal. The best way is to phone before going there and ask the kitchen staff if it’s possible to have a gluten-free meal.

You can find a lot of different restaurants, cafés, bakeries and stores where Swiss Coeliacs have successfully been to: https://guideceliac.ch/

Swiss Coeliac Associations

IG Zöliakie der Deutschen Schweiz (for the German part of Switzerland) Geschäftsstelle
Bahnhofstrasse 7b
CH-6210 Sursee

Phone: +41 (0) 61 271 62 17
E-Mail: sekretariat@zoeliakie.ch

Web: https://www.zoeliakie.ch/de/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/zoeliakie.ch

 

Association Romande de la Cœliakie (ARC) (for the French part of Switzerland)
c/o Guillaume Jolidon
Rue Louis-Favre 76
CH-2017 Boudry

Phone: +41 79 352 04 30

Email: info@coeliakie.ch

Web: https://www.coeliakie.ch/

 

Gruppo Celiachia della Svizzera Italiana (for the Italian part of Switzerland)
Via Campagna 25 L
6503 Bellinzona

Ma / Ve dalle 14:00 alle 16:00
Telefono: +41 79 614 07 79
E-mail: info@celiachia.ch

Web: https://www.celiachia.ch/

Contact persons

The best address is either the Swiss Youth Organization or the Swiss Coeliac Association. You can reach them by the following contact Persons:

Swiss coeliac association:
Phone: +41 (0) 61 271 62 17

Web: https://www.zoeliakie.ch/de/
E-Mail: sekretariat@zoeliakie.ch

Facebook: www.facebook.com/zoeliakie.ch

Swiss youth coeliac club:
Email: youth@zoeliakie.ch

Last update of this Travel Net information: April 2021