Setting up food premises and registering operations
When planning your operations, please contact Food Control well in advance before starting the construction or renovation work.
Planning food premises
The food premises must comply with the food legislation. When planning your operations, please contact Food Control well in advance before starting the construction or renovation work.
Porvoo Environmental Health Services has compiled instructions to support the planning of premises. The instructions include structural requirements that are applied to all food sector operators equally, complemented with the interpretations of Porvoo Environmental Health Services regarding the intention of the legislation. Mark elements such as the operations, preparation and storage equipment and fixtures and water points on the floor plan.
When planning the premises, you also need to contact the building control services and the rescue department.
You will need a permit for building projects and large-scale renovation projects: a building permit, or, at the minimum, an action permit applied for by the property owner. The local building control authorities grant the permits.
In any matters regarding the environment, you should contact the Environmental Inspector.
Before you start new operations or change existing operations substantially, please contact Porvoo Environmental Health Services.
Notification of setting up food premises, changing operations, or ceasing operations
Please submit a written notification to Porvoo Environmental Health Services about setting up food premises, changing operators, or pausing or ceasing the operations.
You should also submit a notification if you plan to change your operations substantially. Substantial changes include changes to the food premise structures, equipment or operations, such as expanding the sales, storage, kitchen or customer areas, beginning food preparation, reducing the kitchen operations, or making significant changes to the fixtures.
Please contact the health inspector in good time to receive instructions needed for the changes.
Please attach the floor plan and list of fixtures of the food premises to the notification of starting or changing operations.
The notifications must be delivered to Environmental Health Services at least four weeks before starting the operations or substantially changing operations.
You do not need to submit a notification of food premises if the food operations are small-scale and take place in the same premises as other food operations and the risks are low in terms of food safety. Low-risk food includes pre-packaged products that keep in room temperature.
Submitting the notification
Submit your notification via the Ilppa e-services
Alternatively, you can fill in the form and submit it to the Environmental Health Services.
We will charge a fee for processing the notifications and carrying out the inspections.
Frequently Asked Questions About Setting Up Food Premises
Can food products be prepared in a home kitchen?
Yes. Food products may be prepared in a home kitchen under certain conditions.
If food is prepared professionally at home, the activity is considered food premises operation. A notification of the food premises must be submitted to the supervisory authority before the activity begins. Food businesses registered at a private home are subject to the same food legislation as any other food business operation.
The basic principle is that living arrangements and the home environment must not pose a risk to food safety. The food business operator is responsible for identifying and managing risks and for understanding and complying with food legislation. The operator is also responsible for ensuring the safety of the products they produce.
Before starting the activity, it is advisable to confirm with the property owner or their representative (for example, the property manager, chairperson of the housing company’s board, or landlord) that there are no obstacles to the operation. It is also important to consider any potential nuisance to neighbours, such as noise, odours, or increased traffic.
In some cases, it may also be necessary to verify with the municipal building control authority that the premises are suitable for use as food premises. Factors that may be assessed include drainage, ventilation, the scale of the activity, and compliance with zoning regulations.
If the operation involves handling significant quantities of fatty or greasy foods, it may be necessary to contact the local water and wastewater utility.
Please note: Food establishment (approved establishment) activities cannot be carried out in a private home.
More information about food business activities carried out at home can be found in the guide “The home as a food establishment” on the page Forms and Instructions of Food Control:
When does a food business not need to be registered with food control authorities?
A food business does not need to be registered with the food control authority if the activity is both small-scale and low-risk.
Small-scale activity means a business with an annual turnover of less than EUR 20,000.
Examples of low-risk activities include:
- preparing and selling home-baked products that can be stored at room temperature
- selling industrially packaged sweets, snack products, and packaged ice cream
- serving coffee
- grilling sausages
- selling other products that can be stored at room temperature (except, for example, food supplements)
- producing juices, jams, and preserves from one’s own harvest on a trial basis for a period of up to one year
If the activity is not small-scale or involves higher-than-normal food safety risks, it must generally be registered with the food control authority before operations begin.
What are the facility requirements for food premises?
Food businesses must have premises that are adequate and suitable for the intended activity. The requirements depend on the nature and scale of the operation and on the types of food being handled.
As the business grows, the requirements for the premises also increase. Requirements may relate to, for example:
- ventilation
- kitchen equipment and fittings
- the number of water points
- storage facilities
- surface materials
- staff welfare facilities and other supporting areas
The key requirements for food service establishments are described in the guide “Requirements for Food Premises”, available on the page on the page Forms and Instructions of Food Control:
What should I consider if I import food products for sale in Finland?
Importing food products is a food business activity that must always be registered with the food control authority before operations begin.
Suitable storage facilities must be available for the imported products. The storage area must be clean and intended for food storage. The facility requirements depend on the types of products being stored. For example, perishable foods require appropriate refrigerated storage facilities.
Before importing products, it is also advisable to identify any product-specific requirements that may apply. More information is available in the Finnish Customs guidelines.
Is food control subject to fees?
Yes. Food control is subject to fees.
Fees are charged for the following:
- Processing of a food premises notification: EUR 200
- Initial inspection: EUR 80/hour based on actual time spent (includes the inspection and preparation of the inspection report)
- Regular control inspections: the fee is determined according to the nature and scale of the business and the time required for the inspection
- Annual basic control fee: EUR 150 per year
The annual basic control fee is charged for all food control establishments that are included in the food control register on the first day of the calendar year.
If the business ceases operations, a written notification of closure must be submitted to the Porvoo Environmental Health Services. Charging of the basic control fee ends at the beginning of the calendar year following the notification.
More information about the fees is available in the Environmental Health fee schedule.