Poland tightens fruit and vegetable origin labelling in supermarkets

Country of origin labeling of fresh fruit and vegetables in Poland has significantly improved following enforcement measures taken by the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK).

According to the regulator, recent inspections show that incorrect origin information in retail stores is now rare after several years of investigations, fines and follow-up checks.

The issue gained attention after consumers reported misleading labels at supermarkets, prompting Poland’s competition authority to examine how retailers display the country of origin of fresh produce.

Investigations and inspections carried out by the Trade Inspectorate (Inspekcja Handlowa) have resulted in sanctions against large retailers and stricter monitoring of labeling practices.

UOKiK began reviewing the origin labeling of fresh fruit and vegetables in retail stores after receiving complaints from consumers about incorrect information displayed on store signs. The inspections compared data on shelf labels with delivery documents and product packaging.

Checks revealed cases where the country of origin displayed on the shelf differed from the information on the packaging or delivery documents. This meant that buyers were not always able to identify where produce had actually been grown.

In 2019, inspectors examined 96 stores belonging to 18 retail chains and examined 1,162 lots of fruits and vegetables. Irregularities were found in 32.3% of stores, with 118 batches (around 10.2%) called into question due to missing or incorrect country of origin information.

Additional inspections during the first half of 2020 covered 395 points of sale, including 356 chain stores. During this phase, inspectors identified labeling issues at 140 sites, representing more than 35% of the sites visited.

The investigations led to enforcement action against the operators of large supermarkets. UOKiK issued decisions in 2021 against Jeronimo Martins Polska, owner of the Biedronka chain, and Kaufland Polska Markety for misleading information about the country of origin of fresh produce.

The authority fined Jeronimo Martins Polska more than PLN 60 million and Kaufland Polska Markety PLN 13.2 million. The courts subsequently upheld the regulator’s decisions, confirming that the retailers had breached consumer protection rules.

Under Polish consumer law, companies can face financial penalties of up to 10% of their annual turnover for practices that harm the collective interests of consumers, including misleading product information.

Follow-up inspections carried out in the third and fourth quarters of 2025 show a strong improvement in compliance with country of origin labeling rules. The Trade Inspectorate found irregularities in less than 1% of the batches examined, varying between 0.23% and 0.73%.

According to UOKiK, the findings suggest that enforcement measures and financial penalties have encouraged retailers to improve the way they present product information to consumers.

The regulator says clear and accurate origin labeling is essential as many buyers consider the country where fruit and vegetables are produced when making purchasing decisions.

The issue remains relevant for the European retail sector as regulatory oversight of food labeling intensifies.

New rules introduced in Poland in February 2026 require fresh fruit and vegetables sold in bulk to display a flag indicating the country of origin, aiming to provide clearer information to consumers at the point of sale.

For retailers and suppliers, this case highlights the growing regulatory emphasis on transparent food labeling and accurate information on product origin in the European food market.

“Poland strengthens origin labeling of fruits and vegetables in supermarkets” was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a brand owned by GlobalData.

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