• The Trade Inspection Authority thoroughly examined dietary supplements.
• It checked how they were labelled, whether manufacturers did not mislead consumers and whether they had registered their dietary supplements with the Chief Sanitary Inspector.
• The auditors had reservations about 89 product batches (20%).

Dietary supplements are foods, not medicines. The Trade Inspection Authority paid particular attention to whether the information provided on the packaging or websites did not mislead consumers with regard to properties of the products. The audit was performed in the Q2 of 2017 at 80 businesses across Poland, and first and foremost those about which there had been complaints. Inspectors checked shops, mainly of the specialist kind, and online sales.

The Trade Inspection Authority audited 443 batches of dietary supplements, the total value of which amounted to PLN 60,200. It contested 89 thereof, that is 20 per cent – less than in 2016, when irregularities amounted to nearly 30 per cent. The majority of reservations concerned labelling. Auditors detected such errors as: lack of information in the Polish language (mainly in the case of supplements for athletes), lack of list of ingredients, lack of information on the recommended daily dose, lack of necessary warnings. There were also discrepancies as regards on-line sales. Websites did not provide information e.g. about the name of the manufacturer or storage conditions.

Examples of irregularities:

• The website contained information which unlawfully referred to treatment of diseases, e.g. “aids treatment of liver diseases”.
• One manufacturer provided health-related declarations which were not included on the list of declarations permitted for foods, e.g. “green tea extract which aids thermogenesis”.
• Caffeine-containing products did not contain the warning: “Not recommended for children or pregnant women”.
• A supplement containing a dye in the form of tartrazine did not contain information on “possible adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.

79 supplement samples were tested at laboratories. The inspectors contested 9 thereof (11.4%). The reasons? The manufacturers overstated the vitamin and mineral content and understated the salt content. The auditors also found an undeclared ingredient – sorbic acid and its salts – in a herbal supplement.

The Trade Inspection Authority also checked expiry dates. It discovered 9 batches of expired products at 4 shops. Moreover, it checked whether the manufacturers notified the Chief Sanitary Inspector about new supplements. Irregularities were detected in 16 cases.

Following the audit, the businesses withdrew the supplements which failed to meet the requirements from the market. The Trade Inspection Authority issued 6 decisions on financial penalties for incorrect labelling, 6 penalty notices, and sent 54 notices to sanitary supervision authorities.

What must be included on the label of a dietary supplement?

1.    An indication that it is a “dietary supplement”.

2.    Names of nutrient categories or indication of the properties thereof.

3.    The recommended daily dose.

4.    An overdose warning.

5.    Information that the supplement cannot be a substitute for a balanced diet.

6.    Information on storing the product out of reach of children.

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