Playbook: Entering the Polish Supplement Market

Start

Start here.

Three articles that answer the questions brands ask most: where to start, what must be on the label and how to set up the supply chain.

Guide · Market entryHow to launch a supplement brand in PolandPoland is one of the largest supplement markets in Central Europe, but it plays by its own rules. Here is the order in which we take a brand through market entry - from the first question to the first shipped order.5 min read

Checklist · Law & labellingFood supplement label requirements in Poland - checklistThe label is where a foreign brand first meets Polish regulations - and where it most often trips up. Below is the full list of what it must contain.3 min read Analysis · Supply chainThe supply chain for a foreign supplement brand in PolandThe best entry strategy will not work if the product gets stuck between the factory and the customer. These are the links that need to be in place before your first campaign goes live.3 min read

Entry path

Ten stages from idea to first sale.

Each stage links to the article that covers it in depth.

01Market reportCategory size, competition, pricing 02Ingredients and dosesIngredient status in Poland and the EU 03Entry structureWho formally places the product 04LabelPolish version and permitted claims 05GIS notificationFiling before the first sale 06Product sourceImport, relabelling or manufacturing 07Warehouse and deliverySanepid registration, shipping 08Sales channelsFirst channel and Polish content 09Campaign launchCreators, reviews, first ads 10ScalingMore channels and products

All articles.

Five areas we work in every day - 16 articles, each built on regulation, data and our own launches.

Market entry

4 of 4

The order of steps and the decisions at the start.

Law & labelling

4 of 4

What must be compliant before sales start.

Supply chain

3 of 3

From the facility to the customer's door.

Sales channels

2 of 2

Where Polish customers buy and how to get there.

Market and data

3 of 3

What and who is growing in Poland.

Glossary

Market entry glossary.

Food law and logistics terms, explained briefly and without jargon.

Establishment registration and approval: Entry of a food business establishment - for example a warehouse - in the register kept by the sanitary inspector and, for some activities, also its approval.
Food business operator (FBO): The company responsible for meeting food law requirements at a given stage - production, import, storage or sale. In practice it files the supplement notification and appears on the label.
Food supplement: A foodstuff intended to supplement the normal diet, which is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect.
GIS notification: The mandatory notification of a food supplement to Poland's Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) before the product is first placed on the Polish market, filed together with the Polish label design.
GMP: Good Manufacturing Practice - a set of rules that ensure consistent quality and safety in production. The standard expected of supplement manufacturers.
HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points - the system for analysing hazards in food production and distribution. Mandatory for food business establishments.
Health claim: Any statement suggesting a relationship between a product or ingredient and health. In the EU allowed only in the wording authorised in the EU register.
MOQ: Minimum order quantity at the manufacturer. It should match realistic first-year sales, not an optimistic plan.
Novel food: Food or an ingredient that was not consumed to a significant degree in the EU before 15 May 1997. It requires authorisation before being placed on the market.
Nutrient reference value (NRV): The reference value for daily intake of vitamins and minerals. A supplement label states what percentage of it the recommended serving covers.
Nutrition claim: A statement about nutrient content, such as “source of” or “high in”. It may be used only once the quantity thresholds set in EU law are met.
Relabelling: Changing the packaging or label of a finished product in an authorised facility, for example to adapt it to Polish labelling requirements.

Playbook.