POLAND / MARKET PREPARATION
Entering the Polish market. A clear plan and shared responsibilities.
Preparing a product for Poland involves more than translating its label. Together, we identify the documents, responsible operators and tasks needed before sale. Each product has its own launch assessment, starting with Omega-3 and krill oil.
GIS notification is not product approval.
Before a food supplement is first placed on the Polish market, the Chief Sanitary Inspector must be notified. Notification and a register entry are not product authorisation, proof of efficacy or a quality certificate. The relevant food business operators remain responsible for compliance and safety. GIS may investigate and request further information.
Sources: GIS-FAQ, GIS-NOTICE, EU-FOOD-LAW
Six stages of market preparation
- 01
Define the responsible operators
Identify the market operator, the operator responsible for label information, the GIS notifier and, where relevant, the importer. Check the required food-business registration or approval for the actual activities.
Sources: GIS-NOTICE, PL-ESTABLISHMENT, EU-FIC
- 02
Review composition and evidence
Check the full formulation, daily serving, allergens, ingredient legality and quality documents. Match the specific krill ingredient to its applicable entry in the EU novel-food list.
Sources: EU-SUPPLEMENTS, EU-NOVEL, EU-CONTAMINANTS
- 03
Prepare Polish labels and copy
Prepare Polish labelling and product material for the responsible operator’s sign-off. Review mandatory information and the use of health claims, including online product listings.
- 04
Submit the notification
The eligible operator submits a correctly signed notification through the current system identified by GIS. Retain the submission receipt and the version of the product dossier that was filed.
Sources: GIS-NOTICE
- 05
Prepare the first delivery
Confirm route-specific formalities, batch acceptance, storage and traceability, together with packaging obligations. GIS notification does not replace these steps.
Sources: PL-CUSTOMS, EEA-ANIMAL-IMPORTS, EU-HYGIENE, PL-BDO
- 06
Maintain oversight after launch
Agree complaints handling, safety escalation, batch withdrawal or recall and document changes when the product changes. Compliance continues beyond the first order.
Sources: EU-FOOD-LAW, EU-FIC
Where we can support the process
We agree the support provided by Nordic Apothecary and FortFrisk for each project. This can include assembling documents and coordinating work with a Polish food-law specialist. The work plan names the responsible parties, deliverables and limits of any representation.
- Nordic Apothecary
- Brand-product information, agreed specifications, material for Polish labels, consistent commercial copy and coordination of the proposed range.
- FortFrisk
- Coordinate documents from production partners, manufacturing and packing arrangements, testing and packaging preparation within the agreed project scope.
- Partner and relevant responsible operator
- Company details and eligibility, local operations and sales, proper signature and submission, import duties where applicable and local oversight. Representation by an authorised agent must be agreed separately.
Preparing the Polish launch together.
Production planning and market preparation should use the same product version. We can help assemble the information needed for Polish labelling, the agreed regulatory review and the first delivery, with responsibilities assigned before launch.
- 01
One agreed product dossier
Composition, shell ingredients, allergens, serving, packaging, storage and the relevant product and batch documents.
- 02
Clear legal and operational roles
The project identifies the label-responsible operator, the GIS notifier and, where relevant, the importer. Coordination support does not automatically transfer these roles to FortFrisk or the distributor.
- 03
The actual supply route
Origin information, manufacturing and packing locations, delivery documentation and any import formalities are checked for the selected route.
- 04
Goals linked to readiness
The joint launch plan connects documentation, supply and sales milestones. Documented delays and required changes are reviewed together before evaluating distributor performance.
What the preparation covers
The GIS notification dossier
Prepare the product and manufacturer names, product form, food-supplement classification, complete qualitative and quantitative composition, Polish label artwork and notifier details. Include previous notification information from another EU state where applicable. Specifications, test reports and ingredient documents support the wider compliance dossier; not every document is a mandatory attachment to every notification.
Sources: GIS-NOTICE
The complete label—not just headline ingredients
Review all ingredients, including the capsule shell and additives, highlighted allergens, the recommended daily serving and quantities of the substances characterising the product. Include supplement-specific warnings, the food-supplement designation, appropriate quantity information, responsible-operator details, storage, durability and batch identification, and legibility. A QR code does not replace mandatory on-pack information.
Sources: PL-LABEL, EU-FIC, EU-SUPPLEMENTS
Separate assessments for Omega-3 and krill oil
For Omega-3, assess the oil’s origin and specification, EPA and DHA in the daily serving and the capsule composition. For krill, also match ingredient identity, process and parameters to the applicable novel-food authorisation and its use and labelling conditions. Assess fish, crustaceans and shell ingredients separately for allergens. A research dose is not automatically an authorised product serving.
Sources: EU-NOVEL, EU-NOVEL-LIST, EU-FIC, EU-SUPPLEMENTS
Quality, shelf life and traceability
Agree product-appropriate evidence for composition, contaminants, oil oxidation and stability in the final packaging. Reports and certificates are checked for their scope, product or batch, applicable requirements and validity. The testing plan reflects the product and the risks involved.
Sources: EU-CONTAMINANTS, EU-FOOD-LAW, EU-NOVEL-LIST
Health claims and online sales
Review labels, websites, catalogues and pharmacy material together. A study does not automatically permit a health promise; the claim and the finished composition must meet the applicable conditions. Do not attribute disease treatment to a supplement. For online sales, mandatory food information is available before purchase, subject to the legal exception for durability dating, and complete information accompanies delivery.
Sources: EU-CLAIMS, EU-CLAIMS-REGISTER, EU-FIC
Supply from Norway or another country
Distinguish manufacture, packing location and country of dispatch. Assess customs and tax separately from sanitary requirements. Tariff classification is determined for the finished product: a supplement in measured doses does not automatically share the classification of bulk oil, and duty and VAT rates depend on the product, its origin and the route. Norway participates in the EEA sanitary system, so not every shipment from Norway has the same requirements as first entry from outside the EU/EEA. Establish the documents for the actual product and route.
Sources: PL-CUSTOMS, PL-TARIFF, EEA-ANIMAL-IMPORTS, EEA-PRENOTIFICATION, EU-CN-2026
Food-contact packaging, BDO and PPWR
Review product-contact material documents and the Polish obligations of the operator placing packaged goods on the market, including BDO. Account for phased PPWR application from 12 August 2026, including current PFAS restrictions in food-contact packaging, and plan for subsequent deadlines where applicable.
Confidentiality and required disclosures
Procurement terms and production know-how remain protected. At the same time, the appropriate operators and authorities receive the legally required manufacturer, composition and product information. We distinguish confidential business documentation from information that must be filed or disclosed.
Sources: GIS-NOTICE, EU-FIC, EU-FOOD-LAW
Sales targets start with a launch that can happen.
The shared timeline links documentation, labels, notification, product availability and delivery. The agreement specifies when performance measurement starts and how documented regulatory or supply delays affect targets. This protects both parties from judging sales against a launch that could not take place.
Questions about the Polish market
Do we need a “GIS certificate”?
No. The correct procedure is notification of first market placement. We do not present a filing receipt as safety certification or product approval.
Sources: GIS-FAQ
Must we wait for GIS permission?
GIS does not issue market authorisation for food supplements. A valid notification must nevertheless precede first placement, and all applicable requirements must be met. A register entry or absence of a reply does not justify selling a non-compliant product.
Sources: GIS-FAQ, EU-FOOD-LAW
Will Nordic Apothecary or FortFrisk file for us?
Document preparation and coordination can be agreed. The eligible notifier and representation arrangements depend on the operating model. A commercial partnership does not itself transfer statutory responsibility to the brand or FortFrisk.
Sources: GIS-NOTICE, EU-FOOD-LAW
Is prior sale in Norway enough?
It does not replace a Polish-market assessment. Check Polish labelling, notification, the relevant operator and the supply route; use other-market documents only where applicable.
Sources: GIS-NOTICE, EU-FIC
Let’s define your Polish-market preparation.
Select the products, confirm the distribution model and review the documents available. Together we can define the work, responsible people and timeline for a documented market launch.
Process and support information, not confirmation that a specific product complies. Services and responsibilities require agreement; check current requirements and the actual product dossier before market placement.
Official sources and reference framework
- GIS-FAQ Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) — questions and answers
- GIS-NOTICE GIS — notification of first placing on the market
- EU-FOOD-LAW European Commission — general food law requirements
- PL-ESTABLISHMENT WSSE Warsaw — food supplements / business registration
- EU-FIC Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 — food information to consumers
- EU-SUPPLEMENTS Directive 2002/46/EC — food supplements
- EU-NOVEL European Commission — Union list of novel foods
- EU-CONTAMINANTS Regulation (EU) 2023/915 — contaminants in food
- PL-LABEL GIS — information on food-supplement packaging
- EU-CLAIMS Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 — nutrition and health claims
- PL-CUSTOMS Polish Ministry of Finance — customs procedures
- EEA-ANIMAL-IMPORTS Mattilsynet — imports of products of animal origin into Norway (applies to Norway, not Poland)
- EU-HYGIENE Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 — hygiene of foodstuffs
- PL-BDO BDO (Polish waste database) — registration rules
- EU-NOVEL-LIST Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 — Union list of novel foods
- EU-CLAIMS-REGISTER European Commission — EU Register of nutrition and health claims
- PL-TARIFF Polish Ministry of Finance — ISZTAR4 tariff browser
- EEA-PRENOTIFICATION Mattilsynet — pre-notification of consignments to Norway (applies to Norway, not Poland)
- EU-CN-2026 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1926 — Combined Nomenclature 2026 (Chapter 15 note 5, Chapter 21)
- EU-FCM Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 — food contact materials
- EU-PPWR European Commission — PPWR starts to apply, 12 August 2026
Sources last checked: 21 September 2026