The paper presents the evaluation of changes in competitive potential of food industry in Poland in the years 1994-2009. Accepted measure of competitive potential of this partial productivity (capital and labor), and total productivity (TFP). The analysis showed a significant increase in labor productivity and the level of technical equipment of employed. That was the basis for improving competitive potential of the food industry to compete on the EU market. However the most important is improving competitive potential in long-term. This requires, to a greater extent than at present, efforts to make changes related to the development of innovation (especially organizational and marketing innovation), creation and spreading of knowledge and intangible assets infrastructure.