Check out the first three minutes of this How to Cook That video for some depressing news from Switzerland. Toblerone isn't Toblerone anymore!
First of all, hooray for Switzerland for being very picky about where and how "Swiss" products are made. America's labelling rules in this matter are much too weak, which has resulted in products that are cheaper, yes, but also made with inferior ingredients and in countries that do not have the same safety standards we have come to expect. Mind you, I'm strongly in favor of food freedom, especially with regard to individual choices and small enterprises. (It's absurd that in the Free State of Florida dairy farmers can't sell raw milk for people to drink but have to label it as "for pet consumption only." It's even more absurd that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania—in the name of health and safety—is persecuting independent Amish farmers, who have been safely feeding themselves and others for centuries. But that's a story for another time.) However, if we are to be free to make our own food choices, honest and clear labelling is essential.
I trust the Swiss to maintain their high standards even if they now make some of their Toblerone in Slovakia, and the ingredients don't all come from Switzerland, but I can't help being disappointed. Maybe they should make two versions, "Classic Toblerone," all Swiss (except the cocoa beans), and the other "New Toblerone," and see how it flies. We know what happened with Coke! But Coke messed with the basic recipe, and I believe Toberone is not doing that.
I'd be happy to volunteer for taste-testing.
Ok, you capitalized it, so I'll bite.
What is this about Florida being a Free State? I know Bavaria is one, and there's the Free State in South Africa... has Florida changed its constitution making it a Free State? (I'm pretty sure, y'all didn't just abolish slavery in 2024...)
I'd always thought those signs were political gimmickry on the taxpayers' dime, but if there is something more substantial behind this new term, I'm interested in what it means, both legally and in practice.
I don't think there's anything legal about it, any more than Florida has any legal claim to being called the Sunshine State, as it says on our license plates (several other states actually get more sunshine); nor does Michigan have sole claim on the Great Lakes, nor New Hampshire on granite, nor Rhode Island on the ocean.
I'm not certain, but I believe Florida gained the moniker during covid, as being one of the states with the fewest restrictions.
For what it's worth, here's the CATO institute's well-documented analysis of freedom (with explanation of their metrics) for the 50 states, in which Florida ranks second (New Hampshire is first). Freedom in the 50 States
