Professional food operators at large public events

Food sector operators must comply with the food legislation in their operations. The operator is responsible for the safety of the food.

• The operations must be registered with the food control authorities of the operator’s home municipality or another location.
• Furthermore, when moving to other municipalities, the operator must notify the local food control authorities of the sales/serving of food at least four days in advance. The organiser of the public event can include the food sellers in a joint notification, or each seller can submit a notification of their respective sales operations.
• The name of the seller must be visible to customers, as should the latest Oiva report if the sales point has undergone an Oiva inspection.

• When selling food outdoors, food can primarily be prepared to be served on-site, not to be packed or sold elsewhere.
• The sales point must have an own-check system that is complied with. The food temperature checks, etc., must be recorded.
• Persons who handle unpacked and perishable food in food premises must possess a hygiene passport. The hygiene passports must be available for inspecting, or the operator must have records of the passports available at the sales point.
• The operator is also responsible for ensuring that the necessary health assessments are completed and records about them are available.
• The operator must ensure that the products being sold are labelled (in both Finnish and Swedish in bilingual municipalities) and information is provided of the products on offer.
• The correct temperatures and times for storing, selling and serving the food must be ensured. For perishable food, suitable refrigeration equipment or other cold storage equipment approved by the food control authorities must be available.

• The serving/sales point must have a dust-free mat or pad under it (such as a tarpaulin, if there is a risk that dust will rise from the ground and land on the products through wind or people walking by).
• A food sales point must have a canopy and a counter that is sufficiently high. The table must be made of materials that are easy to clean. When handling unprotected food, the sales or serving point must also be sheltered from the sides (a marquee structure or similar).
• Appliances for heating food (a grill, paella pan, etc.) must be equipped with a plexiglass or other sufficient protection facing the customers, or the appliance must be sufficiently far from the customers.
• Unpacked products (with the exception of fresh berries and vegetables) can only be kept in a vitrine, display cabinet or similar sales cabinet or case that can be closed (or under e.g. cake domes).
• The food transport boxes or packages must not be kept on the ground without a protective mat under them.
• If unpacked and perishable food is handled at the sales point, a warm water container with a tap, liquid soap and disposable towels must be available for washing hands. For other types of sales, the opportunity to clean hands must be arranged (e.g. sanitising hand wipes or water in a container, liquid soap and disposable towels).
• Sellers handling unpacked food must only use the toilet designated for food sector workers.

• The domestic water used at the sales point must be taken from the kitchen facilities or a water point intended for the sales point.
• There must be a washing point available for the equipment and utensils, or clean utensils must be reserved to last the entire day of sales.
• Keep the sales area clean. The sales or serving point must have a waste bin with a lid.
• Operators must ensure that waste and wastewater are delivered to the correct collection points.