Packaging labels on food
The purpose of the regulations on food information is to inform consumers and protect them from health hazards and financial loss. Food sector operators are responsible for the information given on the food. The labelling must be truthful and not mislead the consumer.
Food marketed in Finland must feature the mandatory packaging labels in the official languages: Finnish and Swedish. In municipalities with one official language, the official language of the municipality is sufficient.
In addition to packed products, there are also labelling requirements for unpacked products. Retail sales points and serving establishments must announce the foodstuff’s name and any ingredients and products that may cause allergies or intolerances.
More information about packaging labels
The website of the Finnish Food Authority offers more details about food labelling and information.
The Finnish Food Authority has also prepared the Labelling Requirements in a Nutshell online course and guide for businesses.
The website of the Finnish Food Authority also features various other guides, such as the labelling guide that includes interpretations of the legislation.
Ingredients that may cause allergies or intolerances
Some ingredients and products that may cause allergies or intolerances, as defined by law, must always be named in the same way in an ingredient list.
In the ingredient list, ingredients that may cause allergies or intolerances must be announced in a way that sets them apart from the other ingredients, using e.g. a different font or background colour.
Ingredients that may cause allergies or intolerances must be announced for both packed and unpacked food. These ingredients include:
- cereal with gluten, i.e. wheat, rye, barley and oats, and products thereof
- crustaceans and products thereof
- eggs and products thereof
- fish and products thereof
- peanuts and products thereof
- soybeans and products thereof
- milk and dairy products (including lactose)
- nuts and products thereof
- celery and products thereof
- mustard and products thereof
- sesame seeds and products thereof
- sulphur dioxide and sulphites if their concentrations exceed 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre in terms of the total sulphur dioxide; the concentrations are calculated for food that can be consumed as-is or that has been prepared according to the producer’s instructions
- lupin and products thereof
- molluscs and products thereof.
There are a few exceptions to this list of ingredients that may cause allergies or intolerances. A more detailed list of substances and products that may cause allergies or intolerances is available in Annex II of the regulation on the provision of food information to consumers (EU) No 1169/2011.
Read more about allergen labels on the Finnish Food Authority’s website.
Temporary food sales and packaging labels
Labelling in accordance with the regulation on food information is not required for food that was made at home or in a farm household and that is temporarily being sold at a jumble sale or similar event and the sales operations are not professional. However, for customers to receive the information they need, the Finnish Food Authority advises that you present the following product and ingredient information:
Packaged food
- Name of food product
- Ingredients that may cause allergies or intolerances
- Amount of content
- Date of preparation
Unpacked food
- Ingredients that may cause allergies or intolerances
For unpacked food, ingredients that may cause allergies or intolerances can also be announced to the consumer verbally. In this case, information about any allergens must be readily available to all salespersons.