Labelling of foodstuffs

Draft Regulation of the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development amending the Regulation on the labelling of certain foodstuffs

The submitted draft Regulation of the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development amending the Regulation on the labelling of specific types of foodstuffs proposes to introduce an obligation to provide information on the country of origin of potatoes in the place where they are sold.

Pursuant to the draft provisions, the obligation to provide information on the origin directly on the packaging of potatoes will be imposed on national operators that package potatoes for consumer sales.

In the case of potatoes sold without packaging and packed potatoes brought from abroad (including those imported from the Member States of the European Union or the Republic of Turkey, or placed on the market in a Member State of the European Free Trade Agreement which is a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area), where the required information concerning their origin has not been provided on the labelling, such information must appear on a display placed in a visible position directly accompanying the presentation of those potatoes.

To make the country of origin identifiable in a fuller and clearer manner at the place where the potatoes are sold, the draft regulation proposes that the information concerning the origin thereof comprise both text — the name of the country of origin — and an image, in the form of the country’s flag. The requirement to present said information will not apply to domestic potatoes voluntarily labelled with a ‘Polish product’ graphic mark, which includes a representation of the flag.