April 9, 2026, 05:43

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Hunting

One in Three Businesses Cheats on Game Meat Declaration

Food inspectors from the Office for Food Safety and Animal Health conducted spot checks in Graubünden and the canton of Glarus to verify whether accurate information is provided about the origin of game meat.

Editorial Wild beim Wild — December 21, 2023

Game season with false origin

September marks not only the beginning of autumn, but also of the recreational hunting and game season.

Yet not all game meat on offer in southeastern Switzerland originates from local hobby hunters or local breeding.

38 percent of businesses found to have deficiencies

Of 34 food businesses inspected in the cantons of Graubünden and Glarus, deficiencies were identified in 13 (38%).

In seven cases, a Swiss or regional origin was falsely indicated, even though the game meat came from abroad. In five cases, only “EU” was stated instead of the country of origin where the animal was killed. One business was unable to prove the origin of the meat it had claimed due to missing documentation.

Stricter controls announced

The inspection took place in September and October and focused on restaurants that advertised game dishes during the recreational hunting season . The claimed origin of the meat was verified on the basis of information on delivery notes and labelled goods.

Due to the “unsatisfactory” result, the declaration of meat origin during the recreational hunting season will now be subject to increased scrutiny, the authorities announced.

You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose compassion on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan.
More on the topic of hobby hunters: In our dossier on hunting we compile fact checks, analyses and background reports.

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