List of the 100 largest food producers Switzerland [2023 Update]

List of the 3 largest food companies in Switzerland

In the following section, we present the three largest food companies in Switzerland in terms of sales. This will give you an impression of the companies from our list and tell you which companies are shaping the industry in particular.

1. Nestlé S.A., Vevey: CHF 84.34 billion in sales (2020)

Nestlé stands out in the Swiss industry. With over CHF 84 billion in sales, Nestlé is the world’s largest food company and consequently dominates the food industry in Switzerland. The company operates globally and is the largest player in many markets. Its product range covers numerous areas from baby food, spices and seasonings to beverages and ready meals. Many of the best-known brands in food retailing belong to the Group.

2. Barry Callebaut AG, Zurich: CHF 6.89 billion sales (2020)

Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is one of the world’s largest chocolate producers. With CHF 6.89 billion in sales, the company ranks second among the largest food companies in Switzerland. Barry Callebaut is active worldwide and has been successfully expanding in numerous countries for years. The Group covers the entire value chain of chocolate and cocoa products, from sourcing and processing to refining and marketing.

3. Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, Kilchberg: CHF 4.02 billion sales (2020)

Also in third place among the largest food companies in Switzerland is a company from the confectionery segment, or more precisely chocolate. Also based in the canton of Zurich, Lindt & Sprüngli is a global chocolate and praline company. With its brands Lindt, Ghirardelli, Russell Stover, Caffarel as well as Hofbauer and Küfferle, it serves markets all over the world. The listed company generated sales of just over CHF 4 billion in 2020.

Picture sources: Egor Lyfar, Katrin Leinfellner

A peek insight the industry

The Swiss Confederation is home to numerous food manufacturers. Some of these produce famous domestic foods such as Rivella or Ricola, while others are international food giants, such as Nestlé. The Swiss food industry employs over 90,000 people.

Main sectors of Swiss food manufacturers

Swiss food companies can be divided into different sub-industries. The most important of these are confectionery, bakery and pasta products, beverage production, meat products, but also dairies and milk processing.

Confectionery, chocolate and pralines

After chocolate – “Schoggi” in Swiss – arrived in Switzerland in the 17th century, a success story began. Worldwide, Swiss chocolate is considered to be of particularly high quality; one third of Swiss sugar is processed into chocolate. The confectionery industry is home to food giants such as Lindt & Sprüngli, Barry Callebaut and Nestlé.

Baked goods and pasta

A high number of Swiss food companies are active in the bakery and pasta industry. These include bakeries, such as pasta producers and bakery supplies manufacturers. ARYZTA AG, based in Schlieren, Switzerland, is one of the largest frozen bakery products manufacturers in Europe. The company generates more than CHF 3 billion in sales per year.

Meat product manufacturer

Meat is part of the daily diet of many Swiss. Accordingly, the Swiss meat and meat processing industry is also highly developed. For example, Bell Food Group AG from Basel is a market leader for meat products and convenience goods with sales in the billions.

Dairy and milk processing

Switzerland is known beyond its borders for its high-quality cheese products. It is not without reason that two of Switzerland’s national dishes – fondue and raclette – are cheese-based. Milk processing companies such as Emmi AG are active throughout Europe. Here, too, sales are in the billions; more than 8,000 employees work for the group.

Beverage producers and breweries

Beverage producers and breweries are also firmly anchored in Switzerland. The Swiss national drink Rivella, for example, is produced by Rothrist AG from Aargau. Well-known breweries include Brauerei Schützengarten from St. Gallen and Feldschlösschen from Rheinfelden.

This list is available for immediate download as an Excel file.

Our list of the largest food companies in Switzerland is a unique overview of this relevant Swiss industry. The dataset contains all relevant players and is available to you for uncomplicated purchase via our online store. Directly after payment, you will receive a download link to the Excel list, which you may use for an unlimited period of time. In the list of the largest Swiss food companies, you will find not only the company names, but also general contact details, the names of the executives as well as information on the companies’ field of activity. This makes regional or thematic segmentation easy, and you can use the data directly to attract potential partners. The information on turnover and employees is also practical, provided that this data is publicly available. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to support you with our list.

Included information in this database

• Company name, legal form and parent company (if there are unified consolidated financial statements)
• General contact details (address incl. major region and canton, e-mail address, telephone number, URL, names of the executives)
• Segmentation by industry and field of activity
• If publicly available via annual report or similar: sales figures for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and number of employees for the last three years