Consumer knowledge regarding dietary supplement regulation and product categorization in Poland remains poor, according to a study published in Nutrients that evaluated public responses to radio advertisements. Out of 397 participants aged 18 to 65 surveyed about general supplement awareness and four radio ad transcripts targeting memory, weight loss, immunity, and sleep, only 4.8% correctly identified dietary supplements as food products, while 40.3% believed they were over-the-counter medicines.
Consumer Perceptions and Advertising Expectations in the Polish Market
According to the Nutrients report, participants were most likely to believe claims made by immunity support supplement ads and least likely to trust weight management advertising. A significant 73.1% of respondents believed taking an advertised immunity supplement should increase the body’s immunity, while only 31.3% expected a weight management product to lead to weight loss. For memory supplements, 57.7% expected noticeable improvements based on the ad content, and 69.3% expected a good night’s sleep supplement to have a calming effect. Authors noted that expectations regarding product efficacy decreased as respondents’ general supplement knowledge increased.
Legal Framework and EU Food Law on Health Claims
Food supplements are legally treated as foods rather than medicines under European Union food law, specifically Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, according to Jerome LeBloch, head of scientific affairs at FoodChain ID. LeBloch stated that if a product is marketed as preventing, treating, or curing disease, it crosses into medicines legislation and creates a direct conflict with the existing regulatory framework. EU case law establishes that a product may be presented as treating or preventing disease even without explicit words if the average consumer is likely to reach that conclusion. Brands can make nutrition claims, such as high in vitamin C, or authorized health claims assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Enforcement Gaps and Industry Oversight Failures
Industry self-regulation is clearly not effective, according to LeBloch, who argued that enforcement carried out at national level leads to varying aggressiveness in how authorities interpret borderline wording and assess online claims on websites and social media. Kristy Coleman, food law consultant and co-founder at AK Collective, stated that effective enforcement remains critical because consumers understandably assume products sold for health and wellbeing purposes undergo the same level of assessment as medicines. LeBloch advocated for more rigorous controls to eliminate significant non-compliance like therapeutic claims rather than favoring stricter regulations or educational campaigns.
Did You Know?
Research from Poland in 2024 found that 43% of healthcare professionals stated that dietary supplements are medicines or medical devices, and nearly 50% believed the legal requirements for marketing them are identical to those for medicinal products, according to the Nutrients study authors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the legal classification of dietary supplements in the EU?
According to EU food law and food law experts, dietary supplements are legally classified and regulated as food products, not medicinal products.
Do dietary supplements undergo the same safety testing as medicines?
No, dietary supplements do not require the same clinical trials or rigorous pharmaceutical assessment as medicines, despite widespread consumer and healthcare professional confusion.
Are health claims on supplement advertisements regulated?
Yes, under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, brands can make nutrition claims or authorized health claims assessed by the European Food Safety Authority, but they cannot claim to prevent, treat, or cure diseases.
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