Mobile food premises, registration and notifications

Mobile food premises are mobile sales or service points or food preparation or processing facilities. They can move or be moved from one place to another within the area of one or several municipalities. Typically, mobile food premises operate at various events, fairs and markets. The include different sales vans, trailers and marquees. The location of mobile food premises may vary from day to day or it may remain in the same place, for example throughout the summer season.

Registration of business

A registration notification must be made of regular food sales and service from a mobile food premises in compliance with section 10 of the Food Act four weeks before the activities commence. The registration notification for mobile food premises is processed by the food business operator’s municipality of residence.

You should primarily use the electronic service Ilppa to submit the registration 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 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.

Registration of mobile food premises (pdf)

Notification

In addition to registering, the operator must notify the municipalities in whose area the activities are carried out of the mobile food premises. The information must reach the local food control authority at least four working days before the activities commence. The food control authorities in Kuopio can be notified using an electronic Notification of mobile food premises form or a freely worded e-mail notification.

The notification obligation does not apply to activities that need not be registered. An example of this is occasional sale or service of low-risk foods by private individuals, recreational clubs or associations.