Food control

Food industry operations must be reported to the supervisory authority, which registers the operation in the national inspection object database VATI. Written notice must be given no later than four weeks before the start of the activity. Notification must also be made of a substantial change in activity, termination, suspension and change of operator.

The notification is primarily made electronically in the ilppa.fi service. A fee according to the fee approved by the supervisory authority is charged for the registration and regular supervision of the activity.

Food establishments that manufacture, process and store food of animal origin must apply for approval from the supervisory authority in accordance with the Food Act before starting operations and before substantially changing operations. Establishments are registered according to their type of operation (dairy, meat, fish, egg and storage establishments). The supervisory authority must be notified of the end of operations and the change of operator.

A fee according to the fee approved by the supervisory authority is charged for the approval of the activity and regular supervision.

A mobile food apartment is a food apartment that is moved from one place, event or municipality to another and where professional business activities are carried out. A mobile food apartment can be, for example, a tent canopy, a sales cart or truck or another similar mobile or temporary point of sale.

An operator with a mobile food apartment must notify the food control authority of the operator's home municipality of the start of its food business, a substantial change, or the suspension or termination of its operation. The food control authority registers the mobile food apartment in the control target database, and the operation is included in the scope of regular control.

The food control authority of the municipality where the food apartment is located must be informed about the mobile food apartment when the food apartment is moved to the locality or for an event organized there. The notification must be made at least four business days before the start of operation of the mobile food apartment.

Primary food production refers to the first production phase of food of plant and animal origin. Primary production includes, for example, milk production, egg production, raising animals for meat production (including insects), fishing and fish farming, growing vegetables and fruits as well as grains and mushrooms, honey production, collecting wild berries and mushrooms, and hunting.

The primary production operator must notify the local food control authority of the primary production site and the activities carried out there before starting the activity. You do not need to report on the collection of wild plants or mushrooms, the sale of self-collected natural products directly to the consumer or delivery for retail sale or further processing, or hunting. Producing sprouts is an exception to other primary production. The operator must apply for approval for the production of sprouts before starting or substantially changing the operation.

Food contact materials are materials and accessories that are intended to be in direct or indirect contact with food, such as food packaging materials, food preparation tools and equipment, work surfaces and dishes and cutlery. Contact materials also include the materials and substances needed for the production of contact materials. Direct contact refers to a situation where the contact material touches the food directly, for example when the food is touched with a cutlery or work tool. Indirect contact is a situation where the contact material does not directly touch the food, but can affect the food, such as a shopping bag or two-part food packaging.

Operators who manufacture food contact materials and place them on the market must report their activities to food control, so that the food control authority can register the operator in the control object database, and the operation is subject to regular monitoring. A written notification must be made no later than four weeks before the start of the activity or a substantial change in the activity. The operator must notify the food control without delay if the operation is interrupted or ends.

The notification is primarily made electronically in the ilppa.fi service. A fee according to the fee approved by the supervisory authority is charged for the registration and regular supervision of the activity.

The inspections of food premises by the supervisory authority are based on the supervision plan approved by the regional sub-committee on environmental health. Supervision is based on risk, so the frequency of inspection of apartments and other supervision measures depend on the nature and extent of the activities carried out in the apartment. Planned inspection visits are charged according to the fee approved by the sub-committee on environmental health.

During a planned inspection visit, the supervisory authority inspects the premises and operation of the food premises. Matters to be inspected may include food hygiene, cleanliness and maintenance of premises, equipment and tools, management of food storage temperatures, correctness of food information and food marketing.

In order to promote the transparency of the inspection and the equal treatment of operators, the food inspection authority prepares an Oiva report on the planned inspection, which is a public document on the grades of the things inspected by the inspection. The things to be inspected are evaluated on a four-point scale: A – Insightful, B – Good, C – Correctable, D – Bad. The Oiva report is available to consumers at the entrance to the food store, on the operator's website and maintained by the Food Agency On the Oivahymy.fi website. In this way, consumers can familiarize themselves with the Oiva report before making a purchase decision.

Food control can also carry out inspections of food premises outside the control plan for a special reason, such as due to suspected food poisoning. Inspections outside the control plan are free of charge for operators.

Food poisoning refers to poisoning or infection that has been acquired through food or household water. Food poisoning can be caused by, among other things, bacteria, toxins produced by bacteria and viruses. Parasites, poisonous plants, animals or fungi or a chemical substance in food or water can also cause food poisoning.

The most common symptoms of food poisoning are nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea and fever. In food poisoning caused by toxins produced by microbes, symptoms may begin a few hours after consuming the contaminated food or water. In cases of food poisoning caused by bacteria and viruses, symptoms start more slowly, usually 1–4 days or even weeks after consuming contaminated food or water.

The symptoms of food poisoning usually go away in a couple of days, but sometimes food poisoning can cause serious or long-term consequences for the patient. Food poisoning can be especially difficult or dangerous for people belonging to risk groups, such as children under school age, pregnant or nursing mothers, the elderly, and people whose immunity is weakened due to a serious illness.

If you suspect that you or a loved one has food poisoning, contact your local food control authority. Contact information can be found at the bottom of this page. You can also report suspected food poisoning electronically on the ilppa.fi website. The food industry operator must also notify the food control authority if the operator suspects that a customer has gotten food poisoning from food prepared by the food establishment.

According to Section 297 of the Food Act (2021/72), control objects are charged an annual basic fee of 150 euros. The basic fee enables even more diverse official work and shifting the focus of supervision from inspection visits to advice and training of operators.

The basic fee applies to almost all approved and registered establishments in the food industry and food contact material operators. The payment is determined according to the situation at the turn of the year.

The basic monitoring fee is not collected from primary production sites, village shops, or non-profit organizations such as food aid operators.

Even if a food premises or operation is exempt from the basic fee for supervision, the object is subject to supervision and fees are charged for other supervision in accordance with Section 73 of the Food Act.

You can find more information about the basic fee From the website of the Food Agency.