Poland makes it harder to label the origin of fruit and vegetables in supermarkets

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

According to the regulator, recent inspections show that false information about the origin of the goods 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 in supermarkets, prompting Poland’s competition authority to examine how retailers indicated the country of origin of fresh produce.

Investigations and inspections conducted by the Trade Inspection (Inspekcja Handlowa) led to fines against large retailers and strict monitoring of labeling practices.

UOKiK began inspecting the original labeling of fresh fruit and vegetables in grocery stores after receiving customer complaints about incorrect information displayed on store signs. Inspections compare data shown on shelf labels with delivery documents and product packaging.

The checks identified cases where the country of origin shown on the shelf differed from the information on the packaging or delivery documents. This meant that sellers were not always able to identify where the products were actually grown.

In 2019, inspectors inspected 96 stores belonging to 18 retail chains and reviewed 1,162 packages of fruits and vegetables. Irregularities were found in 32.3% of stores, with 118 batches – about 10.2% – questioned due to missing or incorrect country of origin information.

Further inspections in the first half of 2020 covered 395 stores, including 356 chain stores. At this stage, auditors identified labeling issues at 140 sites, representing more than 35% of sites visited.

The investigation led to enforcement action against major supermarket operators. UOKiK issued judgments in 2021 against Jerónimo Martínez Polska, owner of the Bedronka chain, and Kaufland Polska Market for false country of origin information about fresh produce.

The agency fined PLN 60 million on Jerónimo Martínez Polska and PLN 13.2 million on Kaufland Polska Market. The courts later upheld the regulator’s decision, confirming that the retailers had broken consumer protection rules.

Under the Polish Consumer Law, companies may face financial penalties of up to 10% of their annual turnover for actions that violate the common interests of consumers, including false product information.

Follow-up inspections conducted in the third and fourth quarters of 2025 show significant progress in compliance with country-of-origin labeling regulations. Business inspection found irregularities in less than 1% of inspected batches, between 0.23% and 0.73%.

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

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

This issue remains relevant for the European retail sector as regulatory scrutiny of food labeling increases.

New regulations introduced in Poland in February 2026 require fresh fruit and vegetables sold to display a flag showing the country of origin, aimed at providing clear information to consumers at the point of sale.

For retailers and suppliers, the case highlights the growing regulatory focus on transparent food labeling and accurate product origin information across the EU retail market.

“Poland tightens fruit and vegetable origin labeling in supermarkets” was originally developed and published by Retail Insight Network, a brand owned by Global Data.

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