Network

Connected. United. Strong.

SWAN is part of a strong network – connecting you with professionals, associations, and institutions across Switzerland and beyond.

Connect with the community

SWAN members come together at events, excursions, and general meetings – and stay connected long after.

Our LinkedIn group connects academic nutrition professionals from across Switzerland – providing a space to share insights on specialist topics, career development, and the latest trends in the nutrition field.

LivePorträts

Twice a year, the SWAN LivePorträts bring members together to discover diverse career paths and connect with inspiring professionals. These events are designed and organised by the working group SWAN LivePorträts.

SWAN-Foyer

At the SWAN Foyer, members briefly introduce themselves during the general meeting – career background, current projects, areas of expertise. A simple and effective way to create genuine connections and find common ground.

Four times a year, the SWAN newsletter provides updates from the association and the professional field. Do you have a publication that might interest other members? We are happy to publish it.

Exchange Groups

In our working and exchange groups, members create value for members – with commitment, professional expertise, and a joy in exchange.

Self-employed

A dedicated space for self-employed nutrition professionals – for sharing experiences regarding challenges and opportunities of self-employment.

International

The International Network Group provides a space for international members – fostering networking, belonging and professional integration in Switzerland.

Your own ideas?

Got your own idea? If you see a need for an exchange group on a specific topic and want to get involved, get in touch!

More about membership

SWAN maintains partnerships with associations in the D-A-CH region.

Members benefit from discounted joint memberships and mutual exchange.

SGE – Swiss Nutrition Society

The SGE is the national specialist organisation for nutrition in Switzerland. Together we strengthen the exchange of information and the visibility of nutrition topics.

SSNS – Swiss Sports Nutrition Society

The SSNS is dedicated to research and practice in sports nutrition, making it a valuable partner for SWAN’s broad circle of academic nutrition professionals.

VDOE – Occupational Association Oecotrophologie eV

The VDOE represents nutrition professionals in Germany. Our partnership strengthens D-A-CH-wide networking in the professional field.

VEÖ – Association for Nutritional Science Austria

The VEÖ is the Austrian sister organisation of SWAN. Together, we represent academically trained nutrition professionals across the entire German-speaking world.

SVDE – Swiss Association of Registered Dietitians

With the SVDE, we share a common goal: strengthening interprofessionality and championing the interests of nutrition professionals across Switzerland.

GESKES – Swiss Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

GESKES brings together professionals in clinical nutritional medicine. Our partnership bridges evidence-based medicine with academic nutritional science.

AEG – Alliance for Nutrition and Health

SWAN is a founding member of the national alliance advocating for health-promoting and sustainable nutrition in Swiss politics. Our members are actively involved across its working groups.

Overview of Professional Fields

The diverse training pathways in nutrition open up a wide range of career fields for academically trained nutrition professionals in Switzerland.

The following texts were adapted from materials kindly provided by the VEÖ.

Academically trained nutrition professionals in Switzerland work in a range of fields, including:

Research and development
Institutions in the field of nutrition and public health
Food industry
Catering services
Universities, universities of applied sciences, and schools (including adult education)
Healthcare
Nutrition communication (marketing, PR)
Consumer protection
Pharmaceutical sector

In our LinkedIn group, academically trained nutrition professionals from across Switzerland connect and exchange ideas – on specialist topics, career development and current trends in the field.

Professional Fields

Health Promotion

Public health promotion has been receiving increasing attention at both national and international level in recent years. Nutritional scientists / nutrition professionals are among the most important professional groups in health promotion projects. They take on leadership roles, identify at-risk groups, develop target-group-specific strategies and implement these through workshops, lectures or other appropriate measures.

A further area of employment for academically trained nutrition professionals is workplace health promotion. This includes, among other things, employee training and consultations, developing a health-promoting work environment, and improving staff catering.

Marketing, Product Management and PR

Academically trained nutrition professionals are in demand across the food industry, pharmaceutical companies, communal catering, and public and health-related institutions. With their in-depth product knowledge, they bring the ideal grounding for roles in marketing, product management, and public relations. They take responsibility for internal communication — such as staff training — as well as external communication in the form of press and public relations work, and act as strategists and visionaries in product development.

Quality Management, Quality Assurance, Food Law and Food Safety

In the food and pharmaceutical industries, the areas of responsibility for academically trained nutrition professionals include:

Microbiological, chemical and sensory testing
Monitoring of end products and workflows
Regulatory Affairs
Product labelling (nutritional information, allergen labelling, etc.)

Academically trained nutrition professionals are also gaining recognition as independent consultants in food safety, food hygiene, and food law.

Science and Research

Academically trained nutrition professionals possess strong theoretical and practical expertise in chemical analysis and scientific methodology, making them valuable contributors to research and science. Their responsibilities encompass the design, coordination, and management of clinical studies as well as epidemiological and empirical research — whether in clinical settings, the food and pharmaceutical industries, or the public and academic sectors. Depending on the context, the scope of work can vary considerably: from laboratory work and literature research to fieldwork.

Editorial Work and Journalism

At a time when unscientific claims about nutrition are dominating the media, academically trained nutrition professionals are indispensable partners for journalism — both as reliable sources for publications and as knowledgeable interview partners. Many are also active as authors in their own right. One of their key tasks is translating scientific findings into language that is accessible to a general audience. Their field of work is broad: it ranges from academic journal articles and contributions to customer magazines and online formats, through to books aimed at a wide range of audiences. In doing so, they make a vital contribution to countering the growing uncertainty among consumers.

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