Outdoor Sales and Public Events
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Mobile Food Premises
Mobile food premises are, for example, mobile kiosks, sales vehicles, sales tents, sales stands and sales wagons. Requirements of sales or serving points are listed on the Finnish Food Authority’s website (in Finnish).
Register the mobile food premises to Food Control
File a registration notification for your mobile food premises to the food control authority of your business’s home municipality at least four (4) weeks before beginning operations. If your business is not registered to Finland, file a notification to the municipality’s food control authority where you will be operating.
File the registration notification in the ilppa.fi notification service (in Finnish). The registration process is detailed on the Food Sector Operation Registration and Approval webpage.
If you are importing foodstuffs of animal origin to Finland within the EU, file a notification for internal market imports of foodstuffs of animal origin.
Notify the local food control authority about your mobile food premises
On top of registering your food business, you must notify the local food control authority about your sales or service operations in the region. You do not have to notify the food control authority of the municipality under the control region of which you have registered your operation. Notify the food control authority at least four (4) days before beginning operations.
You may fill in the mobile food premises business notification form (in Finnish), or you may send a free-form application via e-mail. If you will be operating in the control region of the Environment Office of the Oulu Region (Hailuoto, Kempele, Liminka, Lumijoki, Muhos, Oulu and Tyrnävä), send the notification via e-mail to ymparisto@ouka.fi. Find the food control authorities of other municipalities on the Finnish Food Authority website.
Example 1: Your food business is registered with the Environment Office of the Oulu Region. You are planning on serving food on the market square in Kemi. Notify the food control authority of Kemi (Environmental Health Control of Meri-Lappi) at least four (4) days before beginning operations.
Example 2: Your food business is registered with the Environmental Health Control of Meri-Lappi. You are planning on selling foodstuffs at an event organized in Muhos. Notify the food control authority of Muhos (Environment Office of the Oulu Region) at least four (4) days before beginning operations.
Large Public Events
Notify about large public events that are estimated to gather at least 500 simultaneous attendees. File a notification about the public event to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region’s Environmental Protection at least 14 days before the event. Attach a list of the food businesses participating in the event with your notification.
Ensure the following matters are handled before the event:
- The water distribution system and water tanks used in the event are safe. The drinking water used in the event meets the quality requirements. Take water samples from the water distribution system and deliver them to the laboratory for examination. Read more on drinking water distribution in large events (in Finnish) and ensure that the requirements are met.
- There is an adequate amount of restrooms with hand washing stations for the attendees.
- Waste management is handled in a way that does not cause health hazards.
More detailed instructions on the hygiene arrangements and waste management of large public events on the Valvira website.
General instructions for organizing public events can be found in the city of Oulu's Guide for Event Organizers.
Sale of tobacco products in public events
Each operator must apply for a separate retail license for the sale of tobacco and nicotine products. This requirement applies to temporary sales as well. File the application at least four (4) weeks before the event via the Valvira online service. Application instructions can be found on the Sale of Tobacco and Nicotine Products webpage.
File a noise notification if needed
File a noise notification for an outdoor public event that uses amplified audio systems (such as bands, DJs, orchestras or comparable). File the notification to the Environment Office of the Oulu Region at least 30 days before the event. More details on the Noise Pollution webpage.
More on the topic elsewhere
Mobile food premises operation instructions (Finnish Food Authority) (in Finnish)
Mobile food premises inform the new locality (Finnish Food Authority)