Food premises include such premises as cafés, restaurants, grocery stores, professional manufacture of food products at home and virtual premises. Food premises that handle foodstuffs of animal origin before retail are called establishments. A food business operator must notify the environmental health services of the food premises or establishment before the beginning of the operations.
Food premises mean any building or premises or other outdoor or indoor space in which food meant for sale or conveyance is prepared, stored, transported, marketed, served or otherwise handled. Food premises can also be virtual premises used for the sales or forwarding of foodstuffs without the foodstuffs being in the said premises, such as an online store.
A food business operator shall notify the environmental health services of the food premises in writing no later than four weeks before beginning the operations, substantial changes in them or a change of operator. A notification is also required if the operations are interrupted or terminated. Please attach a floor plan and, if necessary, a furniture plan to the notification.
The operations can start before an inspection by the control authority, but the premises must meet the requirements of food legislation.
A certificate subject to a fee shall be given of the processing of the notification when the notification concerns the commencement of operations, substantial changes in them or a change of operator.
Food establishments
Operating a food establishment requires approval by an authority before starting. Approving a food establishment requires that the establishment complies with the requirements defined in food legislation. All establishments and warehouses producing or handling foodstuffs of animal origin must be approved as establishments, as well as wholesalers that store foodstuffs of animal origin for more than 48 hours with the intention of supplying these foodstuffs to other establishments.
The forms can be found under the section Ympäristöterveyden lomakkeet in Finnish or you can make a request for a form via e-mail terveydensuojelu@lahti.fi.