Operational question: may a Polish operator use “dawkowanie” on a food-supplement label or e-commerce offer, and a “skład” heading instead of “składniki”, without GIS treating that as an FIC breach? The NSA’s answer is asymmetrical: the first — yes (with a medicinal boundary); the second — no.
1. What the NSA held — operative part and dispute
A panel of Marcin Kamiński (presiding), Dorota Dąbek and Henryka Lewandowska-Kuraszkiewicz (rapporteur) dismissed GIS’s cassation. Product qualification as medicines was not in dispute. The cassation focused on whether GIS could include in the Art. 103(1)(1b)(c) Food Safety Act breach description (linked to Reg. 1169/2011): (a) use of “dawkowanie” and (b) the wording “skład” instead of “składniki”.
The WSA had already annulled the GIS decision. The NSA preserved the annulment (Art. 184 of the Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts) but corrected the WSA on “skład”.
| GIS allegation | NSA holding | Operator takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| “Dawkowanie” suggests a medicine (Art. 7(1)(b) FIC) | Rejected — not a breach in itself | Permissible if context = portion / no medicinal suggestion |
| “Skład” instead of “składniki” (Art. 18(1) FIC) | Upheld — FIC breach | Heading must contain the word “składniki” |
| Missing breach description for one product | Confirmed as GIS procedural defect | Decisions must describe each breach; affects the fine |
2. Why “dawkowanie” is not reserved for medicines
GIS argued that “dawkowanie” is reserved for medicinal products and misleads as to the nature of the food (Art. 7(1)(b) Reg. 1169/2011; CBOSA also has a “1069” typo — the regulation is 1169/2011). The NSA disagreed.
- Art. 3(3)(39) of the Polish Act on Food and Nutrition Safety — marketed in a form enabling dosing.
- Art. 27(2) — labelling must support safe “normal use”.
- § 5(2)(3) and (4) of the Minister of Health regulation of 9 Oct 2007 — recommended daily portion and do-not-exceed warning.
- Directive 2002/46/EC Art. 2(a) and Art. 6(3)(b)/(c) — “recommended daily portion” and “recommended daily dose” are interchangeable.
Dose language also appears for medicines (Directive 2001/83/EC), but the function differs: supplements — dietary supplementation; medicines — pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action. The word alone does not decide medicinal character.
3. “Skład” vs “składniki” — GIS was right here
The WSA treated the “składniki” requirement as excessive formalism. The NSA disagreed. Art. 9(1)(b) of Reg. 1169/2011 makes the list of ingredients mandatory; Art. 18(1) requires a heading that consists of or includes the word “ingredients” (Polish: “składniki”).
A bare “Skład” heading does not meet that rule. Headings that contain “składniki” (e.g. “Składniki:” / “Składniki suplementu diety:”) do. The Art. 16(2) exception (largest surface < 10 cm²) was not examined.
4. Operator checklist
- Audit headings — replace isolated “Skład” with a heading containing “składniki”; check the webshop and leaflet PDFs.
- Keep “dawkowanie” or “recommended portion” — aligned with MZ Reg. § 5(2)(3)–(4); add the do-not-exceed warning.
- Cut medicinal framing — remove “as a medicine” schedules and disease references.
- Do not confuse with claims — the judgment does not open health claims (1924/2006) or waive Art. 7(3) FIC.
- On inspection — insist on a precise per-product breach description.
- Not a CJEU precedent — national reading of FIC + the Polish Act.
5. Distinctions the market confuses
- NSA ≠ CJEU
- II GSK 1813/24 binds Polish administrative bodies and courts in this dispute; it is not a CJEU preliminary ruling.
- “Dawkowanie” ≠ medicinal presentation
- The word is permissible; suggesting treatment or prevention of disease remains prohibited (Art. 7(3) FIC; Dir. 2001/83).
- “Skład” ≠ “składniki”
- Art. 18(1) requires the word “składniki” in the heading — a colloquial synonym does not replace the rule.
- Label = online presentation
- The dispute concerned an internet offer; Art. 7(4) FIC extends advertising and presentation rules to the shop and landing page.
Conclusion
After 6 May 2025 (II GSK 1813/24), a Polish operator can defend “dawkowanie” on supplements as information about the recommended portion. At the same time, the operator must fix ingredients-list headings now: without the word “składniki”, Art. 18(1) of Reg. 1169/2011 is breached. The judgment dismisses GIS’s cassation and keeps the annulment in place, but it does not legalise medicinal presentation or a loose synonym for the mandatory FIC heading.
Primary sources
- NSA judgment of 6 May 2025, II GSK 1813/24 — CBOSA; cassation by GIS dismissed; WSA V SA/Wa 944/23.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 — Arts 7, 9(1)(b), 16(2), 18(1); CELEX 32011R1169.
- Directive 2002/46/EC — Art. 2(a), Art. 6(3)(b) and (c); CELEX 32002L0046.
- Directive 2001/83/EC — Art. 1(2)(b); CELEX 32001L0083.
- Polish Act of 25 Aug 2006 on Food and Nutrition Safety — Art. 3(3)(39), Art. 27, Art. 103(1)(1) and (1b)(c).
- Minister of Health regulation of 9 Oct 2007 on the composition and labelling of food supplements — § 5(2)(3) and (4).