Polish retailers push back on produce flag plan
One of Poland’s leading trade associations is opposing a government proposal that would require country-of-origin flags on fruit and vegetable displays, European Supermarket Magazine reports. The Polish Trade and Distribution Organization (POHiD) argues the measure would add costs and confusion without delivering meaningful benefits to shoppers.
For United States exporters and importers shipping to Central Europe, the proposal signals potential changes to in-store origin labeling requirements in a key European Union market of nearly 38 million consumers.
Flagging concerns
POHiD argues that the regulation is unnecessary because retailers already use the widely recognized “Produkt Polski” label to identify domestic items. For unprocessed items such as fruit, meat, or eggs, producers must source the product entirely from Poland. In the case of meat, animals must be born, raised, and slaughtered in the country.
The entity contends that adding flags would duplicate existing information and could undermine the established brand.
According to the Polish organization, many national flags look similar, which increases the risk of mislabeling and regulatory violations. The group further notes that the average consumer may not recognize every national flag, limiting the regulation’s intended informational value.
Retailers also face operational hurdles. Many chains use electronic shelf labels across more than 100 product items, POHiD says such systems often cannot accurately reproduce specific flag colors, heightening the risk for misidentification.
The association estimates implementation would cost large retail chains approximately $4.2 million, excluding additional labor expenses. POHiD also raises environmental concerns, stating that mass printing of full-color physical labels would represent a step backwards in sustainability efforts.
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