• Dumplings, salads and other delicatessen products - we buy them because they are convenient and easy to prepare.
• One in four ready-made dishes raised objections during an inspection carried out by the Trade Inspection.
• The worst scores were achieved by products sold by weight.

In the first quarter of 2018, the Trade Inspection inspected delicatessen products. It checked both their quality and  labelling. The inspectors visited 78 small and chain stores and wholesalers. They evaluated 405 lots, including, inter alia, dumplings, soups, meat dishes - sold both in packaging (326) and in bulk - by weight (79). They found irregularities at 43 establishments (55% of those visited). They had reservations about 113 lots (28%), including half of the inspected products sold in bulk.

78 batches of products were tested at a laboratory. The employees questioned 27 of them (35%). Example irregularities:

• Less product than declared on the packaging - e.g. 7-9% less tongues in aspic jelly.
• Less stuffing in potato dumplings (25% as compared to the declared minimum 30%).
• More broth in pork tripe (78.8% as compared to the declared 73%).
• Beef in minced cutlets and poultry in meat dumplings that was not on the list of ingredients on the packaging.

83 product batches were incorrectly labelled. The worst scores in that regard were achieved by products sold by weight.

In the case of packaged dishes:

• There was no labelling, e.g. in Polish.
• The full name of the product was missing.
• Allergens were not indicated on the packaging.
• The date of minimum durability or the “use by” date was incorrectly indicated - e.g. the place where the date was located was incorrectly indicated.
• The packaging showed vegetables or spices that were not part of the product (e.g. parsley, garlic and tomato on the packaging of strawberry dumplings).

For products sold in bulk:

• The full name of the product was missing at the point of sale.
• The labelling was misleading (e.g. “a'la home-made”, although the product contained preservatives).
• The list of ingredients, including allergens, was missing.

At one establishment the products were improperly stored, at three - four establishments batches of delicatessen products were out of date.

As a result of the inspection, six persons guilty of committing offences were fined. Administrative proceedings were initiated against entrepreneurs who introduced delicatessen products of incorrect commercial quality to the market. The Trade Inspection sent 23 notifications on irregularities to provincial inspectorates of commercial quality of agricultural and food products and 3 notifications to sanitary supervision authorities.

When buying delicatessen products:

• Look at the packaging, make sure it is not damaged and the contents are not clumped.
• Read the list of ingredients and look at graphical information.
• Check the expiry date and storage conditions.
• Check if allergens are listed among the ingredients, especially if you have an allergy.
• Check if the percentage of nutrients is indicated on the packaging.
• When you buy products by weight, you have the right to ask for the full list of ingredients and allergens. This information should also be provided in a publicly accessible place, e.g. by the refrigerator.

Support for consumers:

Tel. 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16 - Consumer Helpline
E-mail: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
Consumer Ombudsmen – in your city or district
Provincial Inspectorates of the Trade Inspection
Regional consumer centres

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL