By 2028, breakfast cereals, yoghurts, and popular drinks in Switzerland will be noticeably less sweet. On Thursday, the Swiss government and 21 food companies agreed to renew the Milan

Declaration—an initiative first launched in 2015 to reduce sugar in everyday foods.

Under the updated plan, sugar levels in cereals, milk-based drinks, and soft drinks must be reduced by 10%. For yoghurts, the target is a 5% cut.

The push to reduce sugar began a decade ago, and officials say progress so far has been encouraging. “Yoghurts, milk drinks, breakfast cereals and soft drinks already contain far less sugar today than they did ten years ago,” the interior ministry noted in a statement.

Health experts warn that excessive sugar consumption is linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. By lowering sugar in widely consumed products, the government hopes to make healthier choices the default option for consumers.

Looking ahead, Swiss authorities also want to tackle another issue: salt. They are aiming for a deal with the food industry to cut salt in processed foods as well. So far, Aldi Switzerland is the only retailer on board. Photo by Rainer Zenz, Wikimedia commons.