Food business
A food business is a company whose activities relate to the different stages of food production, processing and distribution. A food business usually needs a physical location for its operation, which is referred to as food premises. Food premises refers to a building, premises or part thereof indoors or outdoors where food intended to be sold or otherwise conveyed is manufactured, stored, kept for sale, served or otherwise handled.
You must, as a rule, register your food business no later than four weeks prior to commencement of operations or material change in them. If foods of animal origin are handled on your food premises before being delivered for retail sale, you must apply for approval for your premises. In connection with the application, you must present your company’s own-check plan to the supervisory authority.
The operator ensures that the food premises comply with the requirements of the current food legislation. However, it is advisable to contact the Environmental Health Services already at the planning stage of the premises and activities, enabling us to provide advice and guidance regarding the premises and activities as well as the own-check requirements.
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Food business activities that must be registered include
• Restaurants, cafés, industrial kitchens, food stores and kiosks, bakeries, industrial manufacturing sites that do not handle foods of animal origin, food warehouses and transport vehicles.
• Mobile food premises, including marquees, containers and trailers.
• Conveyance and importation of foodstuffs, having food manufactured by agents and similar activities where food is conveyed or resold by telephone or online orders without actually being in the operator’s possession.
• Manufacture, sales, import and transfer of food supplements.The Environmental Health Services must be notified no later than four weeks prior to the commencement of food business or material change in it. The operator is also obliged to notify the Environmental Health Services of the suspension and termination of the business. When a new operator takes over, they must submit a notification of commencement of business. Registered food premises may also be established in the operator’s home under certain conditions.
You should primarily use the electronic service Ilppa to submit the notification. A private entrepreneur or an official representative of a company (signatory) can log directly into the Ilppa application using suomi.fi e-Identification. Other Ilppa users need a mandate granted by an official representative of the company on the Suomi.fi service, which can be done in the Suomi.fi web service. For more detailed instructions for using the Ilppa web service, visit the Finnish Food Authority’s website.
A pdf form which you can print out and fill in is also available. You can return it by e-mail or post to the Environmental Health Services’ address.
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No notification need be submitted to the Environmental Health Services of food sales or service if the risks associated with the food are low and the operator is a private individual, or the activity cannot be considered a business. These activities include small-scale sales or service of food by private individuals or recreational clubs, such as serving coffee or selling buns or cookies.
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Food premises that need approval include
• premises that handle foods of animal origin (fish, meat, milk) before retailing
• warehouses in which foods of animal origin and foods to be delivered to another establishment are storedIf you are planning approved food premises business or intend to change your business, contact the Environmental Health Services. You may not start your business or make essential changes to it without the authorities’ approval. A decision on approving food premises is made within two months.
Read more
We have collected additional sources of information on starting a food business and the requirements laid down in food legislation for activities and premises.
- Setting up a food business
- Instructions for setting up a food business by industry
- Own-check quality assurance
- Do I need to register? (in Finnish)
- Food hygiene instructions for registered businesses – Structural and operational requirements (in Finnish)
Environmental Health Services
City Council building, Suokatu 42, 70110 Kuopio
PO Box 1097, 70111 Kuopio
Food industry, approved food premises, contact material operators, primary production
Restaurants, cafés and industrial kitchens, mobile food premises, temporary food sales, bakeries
Food stores, wholesalers, food warehouses, primary production
Restaurants, cafés and industrial kitchens
Restaurants, cafés and industrial kitchens, food transport