General information on non-prepacked food is regulated nationally by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Decree 834/2014 and notification of high salinity by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Decree 1010/2014.
“Non-prepacked food” means food intended for the final consumer as such and which
- consumers themselves pack
- is packed at the consumer's request at the place of supply of the food
- is prepacked at the place of supply for immediate sale
- is served at the place of food supply ready for consumption by the final consumer.
Direct sales means the sale of a food where the product is pre-packed at the place of supply of the food in order to speed up and facilitate the sale.
Point of retail sale and serving point
At the point of retail sale , the following information shall be provided for non-prepacked foods:
- the name of the food;
- Substances and products causing allergies and intolerances (Food Information Regulation, Annex II)
- the ingredients:
- the country of origin or place of provenance (for example, where mandatory or where its absence may mislead the consumer)
- appropriate instructions for use and storage.
In addition
- the amount of fat and salt in cheeses, sausages and sliced meats
- the amount of salt in bread.
- The indication of high salt content for the products listed above must, where appropriate, be provided to the final consumer in writing in conspicuous and clearly visible brochure or on a notice in the vicinity of the non-prepacked food or in some other similar manner.
- Indication of the amounts of salt and fat and high salt content need not be provided for the foods concerned that are supplied by the small food business operator directly to the final consumer or to a local retailer which delivers the products directly to the final consumer.
Serving points must display the following information about non-prepacked foods:
- the name of the food
- the country of origin (in writing) of fresh, chilled or frozen beef, meat of swine, sheep, goat and poultry used as an ingredient in a meal
- Substances and products causing allergies and intolerances (in writing or under certain conditions verbally)
The information must be provided in writing at the point of retail sale and at the serving point at the place of food supply in a conspicuous and clearly visible brochure or board or other similar clearly visible manner in the vicinity of the non-prepacked food. The information may also be given verbally , provided that a conspicuous and clear brochure or board in the vicinity of the non-prepacked food at the place of supply indicates that the information is available from the staff on request to the consumer or in writing or electronically before the purchase decision is made at no extra cost. (Derogations from this, however, are the indication of high salt content at the point of retail sale and the name of the food and the country of origin of the meat at the serving point, for which the information is always in writing).
Food information shall also take into account any product-specific legislation that may require the provision of additional information on foods sold in bulk.
Language requirements
The language in which mandatory information about non-prepacked foods should be provided is set out nationally. The Finnish Food Authority recommends that information on non-prepacked food be provided in both Finnish and Swedish in bilingual municipalities and in the language of the municipality concerned in monolingual municipalities.
More on this subject: in the Food Information Guide (Finnish Food Authority Guide 17068/2)(in Finnish) and in the Frequently asked questions section.