Is Shilajit Banned? What Switzerland Allows in 2026

Yes, shilajit is legal in Switzerland. It is sold as a food supplement, in pharmacies as well as online shops, and according to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO, in German BLV) it needs neither an authorisation nor a notification to be sold. Two other things are not allowed: advertising shilajit as a remedy for a disease, and privately importing more than one month’s supply of a product that counts as a medicine.

On 31 October 2026 the Shilajatu team read the original pages of the FSVO, Swissmedic, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS, in German BAZG) and the European Commission. We sell shilajit resin from Winterthur ourselves, and we are not a law firm. This guide is not legal advice, but it names the source of every statement so you can check it yourself.

Is shilajit banned in Switzerland? The short answer

As of 31 October 2026 the position is clear: shilajit, also called mumijo, may be sold and bought in Switzerland as a food supplement. Responsibility for a compliant product lies with the company that sells it. Cantonal authorities run spot checks. We found no ban specific to shilajit in any federal source.

So why do people search for “shilajit banned” or, in German, “Shilajit verboten”? The question usually mixes three issues with different answers. Is the product allowed as a food? What may the seller say about it? And what happens at the border if you order from abroad? On top of that come German headlines about fulvic acid, which are often applied to shilajit without distinction.

Is mumijo legal? One material, several names

Shilajit, mumijo and asphaltum panjabinum all name the same material. The European Commission lists all three in the same finding and describes mumijo as a complex product of both organic and mineral origin that forms in various mountain regions. The name on the jar therefore makes no legal difference. A jar labelled “mumijo” stands exactly where a jar labelled “shilajit” stands.

The same finding expressly separates mumijo from “mumia”, a powder made from decomposed mummies that was once sold as a folk remedy. That has nothing to do with shilajit. If you come across old texts about a ban on “mummy”, check first which substance they mean. Our guide What is shilajit? explains what the resin actually is.

Three questions behind the word “banned”

A ban can apply at three different points. We look at each separately in this guide, because the answer to one says nothing about the others.

• Food status: is shilajit an ordinary food or a novel food that would need authorisation before sale? The cut-off date of 15 May 1997 decides.
• Advertising and claims: what may appear on the label and the product page? This is where the line between food and medicine runs, and where most real breaches happen.
• Import and classification: what applies if you order shilajit abroad or bring it back from a trip? Customs, VAT and the question of whether an authority classes a product as a medicine all count here.

A fourth question is not about a ban but is often confused with one: does a particular jar contain too much lead or mercury? That is a question about the quality of one batch. We come back to it at the end.

Switzerland: shilajit as a food supplement

The FSVO sums up the rules for food supplements on its information page in a few sentences. Food supplements need no authorisation, except for novel foods. Notification is not required in Switzerland. Manufacturers, importers and distributors must ensure through self-monitoring that their products are safe and compliant, and the cantonal enforcement authorities check this by spot checks.

For you as a buyer, that means there is no list of “approved” shilajit products in Switzerland to look up. A seal that implies government approval should make you more suspicious, not less. What matters is who sells the product and which documents that company can show you.

Novel food: the 15 May 1997 cut-off

According to the FSVO, a food counts as novel if it was not used for human consumption to a significant degree in Switzerland or the EU before 15 May 1997. The business placing it on the market must check that status itself as part of self-monitoring and document the result. Novel foods authorised in the EU are also authorised in Switzerland; FSVO authorisations, by contrast, apply only in Switzerland.

Because Switzerland counts consumption in the EU, an EU finding on shilajit is the natural reference here too. In 2020 the European Commission published such a finding on mumijo, with shilajit and asphaltum panjabinum as synonyms. It reads: not novel when used as or in food supplements; novel in other foods. We found no separate FSVO classification of shilajit as of 31 October 2026.

In practice, a shilajit resin, capsule or drops sold as a food supplement stand on firm ground. A shilajit bar, drink or chocolate would legally be a different product. For those, ask on what basis they are being sold.

Who enforces the rules in Switzerland

Enforcement sits with the cantons, not the federal government. If you suspect a labelling or safety problem, contact the cantonal food control office of your canton. The FSVO sets the rules; the cantons inspect businesses and test products in their laboratories.

Question	Answer as of 31 October 2026	Source
Does shilajit need authorisation?	No, not as a food supplement	FSVO, food supplements
Must a product be notified?	No, there is no notification in Switzerland	FSVO, food supplements
Who checks novel food status?	The business placing it on the market, through self-monitoring	FSVO, novel foods
Which cut-off date applies?	15 May 1997, consumption in Switzerland or the EU	FSVO, novel foods
Does an EU authorisation count here?	Yes, novel foods authorised in the EU are authorised in Switzerland	FSVO, novel foods
Who checks compliance?	Cantonal enforcement authorities, by spot checks	FSVO, food supplements

What sellers may not promise in Switzerland

This is the real core of “banned”. The FSVO writes that food supplements are not intended for the prevention or treatment of diseases and may not be advertised that way either. Health claims are only allowed if they are listed in Annex 14 of the Swiss food information ordinance (LIV) and its conditions are met, or if the FSVO has authorised them.

That list contains no claim specific to shilajit. A product page that credits shilajit with an effect on a disease or on a specific body function therefore breaks the rules for foods, even if the jar itself is fine. Swissmedic adds that a food supplement can be classed as a medicine even when it is not presented as one.

For your purchase this is a useful filter. A seller who respects the line describes origin, composition, lab results and price. A seller who makes disease claims ignores a central rule, and you cannot tell which other rules they keep.

Type of statement	For a food supplement in Switzerland	What it tells you
Origin, composition, lab results, price	Allowed if true and documented	Ask for the evidence
Health claim from LIV Annex 14	Allowed if the conditions are met	No shilajit-specific claim exists
Preventing, curing or relieving a disease	Not allowed	Warning sign, avoid the seller
Implied government approval	Does not exist for food supplements	Ask what the basis is

One jar, one lab report, one domestic parcel

What is Shilajatu?

• Himalayan shilajit resin in 30 g jars, sold as a food supplement.
• Shipped from Winterthur by Swiss Post, 1 to 3 working days after dispatch, no customs charges, TWINT, free delivery from CHF 60.
• Downloadable certificate of analysis, sizes from 30 g to 480 g.

See the shilajit resin

Ordering or bringing shilajit in: customs, VAT and Swissmedic

Whether a product is sold legally in Switzerland is one question. Whether you may import it yourself, and what that costs, is another. Four ways of buying differ clearly.

Ordering from a Swiss shop

A parcel within Switzerland crosses no border. There is no customs duty and no import tax, and a company based in Switzerland, subject to cantonal control, answers for the product. On 31 October 2026, for example, the pharmacy chain BENU listed shilajit drops as a food supplement in its online shop. Our comparison of Migros, Coop, dm and pharmacies shows which other retailers stock shilajit.

A parcel from abroad

A parcel from the EU or further away is cleared through customs. According to the FOCBS, customs duties of up to CHF 5 and tax amounts of up to CHF 5 are not collected, for reasons of administrative efficiency. VAT is 8.1% of the taxable amount; a reduced rate of 2.6% applies to certain goods, including food. On top come Swiss Post or courier fees for customs clearance, which the FOCBS does not control.

The FSVO advises particular care with products on foreign websites or from sellers with incomplete details. The reason is simple: a company without a base in Switzerland is not subject to cantonal control, and a complaint is harder to pursue.

Bringing it back from a trip

For goods you bring in for your own use or as a gift, the VAT value allowance on entry has been CHF 150 since 1 January 2025, down from CHF 300 (FOCBS). Special rules apply to certain sensitive goods. Check the current FOCBS page before you travel.

When a product counts as a medicine

Swissmedic allows private individuals to import medicines for themselves, not for others, and only in the order of one month’s supply. If a product is classed as a medicine, at most one month’s supply may be imported. That can also hit a product sold abroad as a food supplement, for example when it comes with disease claims. So do not order a stockpile from sellers whose product page reads like a medicine leaflet.

Way of buying	Customs and VAT	Who answers for the product	What to check
Swiss shop or pharmacy	None, domestic parcel	Company based in Switzerland	Label, batch, lab report
Parcel from the EU or overseas	Customs clearance; amounts up to CHF 5 not collected	Company abroad	Seller details, clearance fees
Bought on a trip	VAT allowance of CHF 150 since 1 January 2025	Seller in the country visited	Own use, current FOCBS rules
Product classed as a medicine	One month’s supply at most, for yourself only	Swissmedic rules apply	No products sold with disease claims

The EU and Germany: where “shilajit banned” often comes from

Many texts about shilajit being “banned” come from Germany and address one of two questions: novel food status in the EU, or fulvic acid. Both also matter to buyers in Switzerland who order across the border or read German guides.

The EU finding on mumijo

Germany itself started the consultation on mumijo under Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. The German authorities found no evidence of significant consumption in the Union before 15 May 1997. Czechia, however, stated that mumijo had been used there in food supplements before that date. Hence the split finding: not novel in food supplements, novel in all other foods.

This is not the authorisation of any single product. It only means that shilajit sold as a food supplement needs no novel food authorisation in the EU. Everything else follows the usual rules: labelling, maximum levels for contaminants and the ban on disease claims.

Germany, France, Italy: notification instead of approval

Unlike Switzerland, several neighbouring countries require a notification before the first sale. In Germany a manufacturer or importer must notify a food supplement to the federal office BVL no later than its first placing on the market, with a sample of the label (§ 5 NemV). In France, customs states that a supplement must be declared in advance to the consumer authority DGCCRF through the Compl’Alim online service. In Italy, placing a supplement on the market depends on notifying its label to the Ministry of Health.

In none of these countries is such a notification a check or an approval. It only means the authority knows the product exists. A shop that advertises “registered with the BVL” is describing a formality, not a quality check.

Country	Shilajit as a food supplement	Notification before sale	Source
Switzerland	Allowed, no authorisation	No	FSVO
Germany	Allowed, not novel in supplements	Yes, notification to the BVL (§ 5 NemV)	European Commission, NemV
France	Allowed, not novel in supplements	Yes, declaration to the DGCCRF (Compl’Alim)	European Commission, douane.gouv.fr
Italy	Allowed, not novel in supplements	Yes, label notification to the ministry	European Commission, salute.gov.it
Austria	Allowed, not novel in supplements	Not checked	European Commission

Is fulvic acid banned?

This question appears on many shilajit searches, mostly in German as “Ist Fulvinsäure in Deutschland verboten?”. The Verbraucherzentrale, Germany’s consumer organisation, writes in a text dated 10 August 2026 about novel ingredients that are not permitted in food supplements: “Unzulässig ist auch Fulvinsäure (Fulvic Acid)”, meaning fulvic acid is not admissible either. This refers to fulvic acid as an isolated ingredient, such as a powder or concentrate.

Shilajit resin is a different product. It contains fulvic acid as a natural component, as the Commission’s description of mumijo says, and the mumijo finding applies to the resin. We found no decision by an authority on isolated fulvic acid as of 31 October 2026; the Verbraucherzentrale’s view is consumer information, not a ruling. Our guide What is fulvic acid? explains the chemistry.

Buy shilajit without customs

What is Shilajatu?

• Himalayan shilajit resin in 30 g jars, sold as a food supplement.
• Shipped from Winterthur by Swiss Post, 1 to 3 working days after dispatch, no customs charges, TWINT, free delivery from CHF 60.
• Downloadable certificate of analysis, sizes from 30 g to 480 g.

See the shilajit resin

Heavy metals: legal does not mean tested

That shilajit is legal says nothing about a particular jar. Shilajit is a natural mountain product and can contain lead, cadmium and mercury. In Switzerland the Federal Department of Home Affairs ordinance on contaminants sets maximum levels; in the EU, Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets 3.0 mg/kg for lead, 1.0 mg/kg for cadmium and 0.10 mg/kg for mercury in food supplements.

Our own certificate of analysis 63849 from Alex Stewart Agriculture, reported on 9 February 2026, shows 0.44 mg/kg lead and 0.03 mg/kg mercury for the resin; cadmium is reported as below 0.2 mg/kg. That is a measurement of the submitted sample, not a promise for every natural product. Ask every seller, us included, which report covers the batch you will receive.

Our guide Is shilajit safe? Heavy metals and lab reports shows how to read such a report line by line.

How to check a shilajit product before you buy

A legally sold product can be recognised by a few checkable features. Go through these six points once for each seller before you compare prices.

Check	What you should see	Why it matters
Product name	“Food supplement” on the label or product page	Shows the legal basis it is sold on
Responsible company	Name and address, ideally in Switzerland	Subject to cantonal control
Form	Resin, capsule, powder or drops	Not novel only in food supplements
Statements	Origin, composition, price; no disease claims	Disease claims are not allowed for foods
Batch and lab report	Batch number and a dated report that matches it	Legal does not mean tested
Dispatch location	A named warehouse, in Switzerland or abroad	Decides customs, VAT and complaints

Our guide to the best shilajit in Switzerland applies these points to five offers with prices read on 26 October 2026. The different buying channels across Europe are covered in Where to buy shilajit in Europe.

Who should avoid shilajit

Legal does not mean suitable for everyone. Do not take shilajit while pregnant or breastfeeding, and do not give it to children. People with haemochromatosis or another iron overload condition should avoid it. If you take prescription medicines or have a diagnosed condition, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting. More in Shilajit side effects.

Conclusion: legal in Switzerland, within clear limits

Shilajit is not banned in Switzerland. It is sold as a food supplement without authorisation or notification, and responsibility lies with the company that places it on the market. Three things decide whether your purchase stands on firm ground: a seller with a base and an address, a product page without disease claims, and a lab report that matches the batch delivered.

Buying in Switzerland also spares you customs clearance, import tax and the one-month-supply question. Our resin ships from Winterthur by Swiss Post, usually arrives 1 to 3 working days after dispatch, and delivery is free from CHF 60. The 60 g option costs CHF 62.90, or CHF 56.61 with the first-order code START10 from the newsletter, still delivered free. TWINT is accepted. All sizes and the certificate are on our Switzerland page and the resin jar product page.

Read the documents, then order.