Suplementy diety – specyficzna żywność

The dietary supplements market is developing very dynamically, which is related to the dissemination of this category of products in the mass media, the relatively hassle-free procedure of introducing them to the Polish market and their universal availability (they can be purchased at pharmacies, herbal shops, groceries and on the Internet). By definition, supplements are intended to supplement the diet, belong to food category and have no therapeutic effect. They may be visually identical to the pharmaceutical form of medicinal products, which may mislead consumers, as long as people are unaware of how to distinguish these two groups. In addition, no requirements have been set for technological parameters or physical properties of final products in Polish legislation. The safety of dietary supplements application includes quality, the actual content of the declared ingredients and possible contamination and presence of prohibited additives. Selective control and lack of specific guidelines regarding the form of supplements leave considerable options to the producer. It may lead to products of questionable quality and completely devoid of health-promoting effects being introduced to the market, thus posing a threat to the consumer. Due to the growing consumer interest in this group of products, the legal situation of dietary supplements on the Polish market is presented with reference to European and American legislation. The procedure and basic guidelines for placing this group of products on the market, indications for use and aspects related to safety and risks associated with dietary supplements were also discussed.