The consumer protection agency, the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH), has launched punitive procedures against three companies, as informed by the state news agency MTI. The three companies are the Hungarian GB Interherb Élelmiszer Kereskedelmi Kft, Swan Med Hungary Kft, and the Slovenian Nutrisslim d.o.o.

According to GVH, these companies have allegedly been engaging in unfair commercial practices by using prohibited messages and claims in their public communications, which seek to highlight the health effects of their products without sufficient scientific evidence. The accused parties promoted the food producers, dietary supplements, and—in the case of BGB Interherb—cosmetic products they sell with health claims that do not comply with the applicable industry regulations. The companies also attribute properties to the products that relate to the prevention, treatment, and cure of diseases, or refer to such properties.

Interherb and Swan Med also cited endorsements from healthcare professionals in their advertising, a practice the GVH considers potentially unfair. Swan Med further promoted its ‘DotsDiet’ product line with claims suggesting that a balanced diet cannot provide sufficient nutrients, while also making questionable statements about the nutritional content of the products.

Meanwhile, Nutrisslim allegedly misused official EU logos, including the organic certification and European Food Safety Authority emblems, while also misleading consumers about its products’ legal status, environmental impact, and customer reviews.

GVH also emphasized that advertising related to food composition and health benefits is tightly regulated under EU law. Such products may not be marketed as having medicinal properties, and health-related claims are permitted only within a narrow legal framework, backed by strict European standards.

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