Legal status as of August 2026. The rules on food and food supplements change. Before you rely on a specific rule, check the current text of the law and the notices of the supervisory authorities.
In law, a food supplement is a food, not a medicine. This one sentence shapes the whole supervision system. It decides how a product is placed on the market, which documents are needed, who is responsible for what and which institutions carry out checks. Below, we describe how this system works in Poland.
A food supplement in law
The definition of a food supplement is in the Act on food and nutrition safety, which implements Directive 2002/46/EC. A supplement is a food that is meant to supplement the normal diet.
This classification has further effects. Food law applies to supplements, including Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers.
A separate set of rules controls how properties may be described. Nutrition and health claims may only be used as permitted by Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and the list in Regulation (EU) No 432/2012.
More: Why a supplement producer cannot promise treatment – health claims in practice
A supplement also must not be presented as a product with medicinal properties. The line between a supplement and a medicinal product is sometimes the subject of a separate assessment.
What notification is and what it is not
What the producer notifies
A business that places a food supplement on the market in Poland for the first time must notify the Chief Sanitary Inspector. This obligation comes from Article 29(1) of the Act of 25 August 2006 on food and nutrition safety, and Article 29 of this Act describes the procedure.
The notification includes data that identifies the product and the business. This is the product name, the ingredients that characterise the product, its form, the details of the responsible business and a sample of the label in Polish.
A regulation of the Minister of Health sets out the required information. The regulation covers the notification form for products placed on the market in the Republic of Poland for the first time, the register of notified products and the list of national scientific units that can give opinions. The business submits the notification through the Electronic Notification System run by the authority.
Why notification is not an authorisation or a registration
People often confuse these. A notification only gives information: the business informs the authority that it plans to place a product on the market. It does not ask for permission.
This does not mean that the authority does nothing. The Chief Sanitary Inspector can carry out an explanatory procedure under Article 30 of the Act on food and nutrition safety. The Inspector can also ask the scientific units named in the law for an opinion. The advisory body in these matters is the Team for Food Supplements. It works under Article 9(2a) of the Act on the State Sanitary Inspection.
There is also no “supplement registration” in the sense known from medicinal products. An entry in the register of notifications only records that a notification was made.
For consumers, this means that a product in the register confirms that a notification was submitted. It does not confirm the properties of the product.
Who supervises
The State Sanitary Inspection carries out the main supervision of food, including food supplements. The Chief Sanitary Inspector leads it. The structure includes regional and district units.
A separate inspection deals with the commercial quality of agricultural and food products. Advertising and market practices can fall under the authority for competition and consumer protection.
At EU level, there is an early warning system for dangerous food and feed, known as RASFF. The division of powers between authorities can change with new laws, so it is worth checking the current rules.
What the producer or the business placing the product on the market is responsible for
Product safety
Under the general principles of food law, the food business operator is responsible for making sure that the product meets the law. This covers product safety and the rules on ingredients and labelling.
The business also follows hygiene rules and internal control systems from the laws on food hygiene. These systems are based on an analysis of hazards in the production process.
If a product does not meet the safety requirements, the law says that the business must withdraw it from the market and inform the competent authorities.
Correct labelling
The label must include the mandatory information set out in the rules on food information and in the specific rules for supplements. This includes the words “food supplement”, the list of ingredients and the recommended daily portion with a warning not to exceed it. It also includes a statement that a supplement does not replace a varied diet.
More: How to read the ingredients of a food supplement – what to look at beyond the marketing name
Labelling must not mislead consumers or give the product medicinal properties. This applies to both the label and advertising materials.
Traceability and the batch number
Food law requires traceability. This means that it must be possible to find where the raw materials came from and who received the product at each stage of the chain. This principle is called “one step back and one step forward”.
In practice, this system uses the production batch mark on the packaging. The mark links the packaging to the production batch, which matters for complaints and product withdrawals.
More: Best before and use by – two dates that mean different things
Inspections and what they cover
Supervisory authorities carry out planned and unplanned inspections, including inspections after reports. They check, for example, production and storage conditions, documents and whether the labelling meets the law.
They can also take samples for laboratory tests, for example to check the declared ingredients.
The authorities can use several measures. For example, they can order a business to fix problems, stop placing a product on the market or withdraw it from the market. The Act on food and nutrition safety sets out how these measures are used.
Information about products that did not meet the requirements is sometimes published in notices from the supervisory authorities. It is worth checking these notices directly at the source.
How this is different from the authorisation of medicines
| Criterion | Food supplement | Medicinal product |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Food law, including the Act on food and nutrition safety | Pharmaceutical law |
| How it is placed on the market | Notification to the authority before first placing on the market | Marketing authorisation given after an assessment of documents |
| Required evidence | Documents on ingredients, safety and compliance with food law | Documents on quality, safety and efficacy |
| Supervision | Sanitary inspection authorities and other competent inspections | The authority responsible for medicinal products |
| Description of properties | Only claims permitted by law | Indications set out in the registration documents |
This table shows the differences between the systems. It does not judge either category. Each category works under separate legal rules.
More: Food supplements and medicines – why it is worth talking to a doctor or pharmacist
What consumers can check themselves
You can check a few things without expert knowledge. They are enough for a first overview.
- The category on the packaging. The words “food supplement” show what type of product it is and which rules apply to it.
- Details of the responsible business. The company name, address and contact details let you ask a question or make a complaint.
- Batch number and date. You need both marks every time you contact the producer and when you check notices about product withdrawals.
- A description that meets the law. The description of a food supplement must not promise to treat illness or remove symptoms.
- The register of notifications. The register of notified products is kept in electronic form at https://powiadomienia.gis.gov.pl. An entry means that a notification was made, not that the product was assessed.
Summary
In Poland, the supervision of food supplements is based on classifying these products as food. For this reason, there is a notification procedure instead of an authorisation, and the business that places the product on the market is responsible for it.
A notification is not a registration or an official confirmation of the product’s properties. However, supervisory authorities have control tools, for example inspections, sample tests and decisions to withdraw a product from the market.
Consumers can check the product category, the details of the responsible business, the batch number, the date and whether the description meets the law. The rules in this area change, so it is worth checking the current law in official sources.
FAQ
Is a food supplement tested before it is placed on the market?
It does not go through an authorisation procedure like the registration of a medicinal product. The business must notify the authority before first placing the product on the market. The business that places the product on the market is responsible for its safety and for making sure that it meets the law.
Does a product in the register of notifications confirm anything?
It means that a notification was submitted. It is not an official confirmation of the product’s properties or an assessment of the product by the authority.
Where can I report a problem with a food supplement?
You can report it to the sanitary inspection authority. It is also worth reporting it to the responsible business named on the packaging. It helps to give the batch number and the date from the label.
Can the rules described in this text change?
Yes. Food law changes regularly. The implementing rules and the division of powers between authorities also change. Before you rely on a specific rule, check the current text of the law and the notices of the supervisory authorities.
Sources
- Act of 25 August 2006 on food and nutrition safety (as amended).
- Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law.
- Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to food supplements.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers.
- Act of 6 September 2001 – Pharmaceutical Law (as amended).
- Act of 14 March 1985 on the State Sanitary Inspection (as amended).
- Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS), Electronic Notification System and Register of products covered by the notification of first placing on the market, https://powiadomienia.gis.gov.pl