Outcome. FI: Henkilö tietää mitä yleisiä vaatimuksia lainsäädäntö asettaa elintarvikkeiden käsittelylle ja mitkä viranomaiset vastaavat elintarvikevalvonnasta. EN: The person knows what general requirements legislation sets for food handling and which authorities are responsible for food control.

Why it matters

The law tells who is responsible, what must be notified and who supervises. In the test the safe answer is: the operator is responsible, and the authority supervises.

What the operator must do

• Ensure food is chemically, physically and microbiologically suitable for human consumption and no danger to health, and that information about it is not misleading. Unsafe food must not be placed on the market.
• Operators at all stages are responsible for ensuring that food meets food law in their activities. Responsibility for food safety is always the operator's. Everyone doing food business follows food legislation, including at market events. The Food Act covers all stages of production, processing and distribution of food, but not food made for own use in a private household. No food-sector education is required to start a food business, but the operator is responsible.
• Notify the municipal authority of food activity at least four weeks before starting or making an essential change, that is before opening, not after. Interruption or ending is notified without delay. The notification for a registered activity includes a description of the own-check and a floor plan.
• Approved premises (hyväksytty elintarvikehuoneisto) are needed for activities such as slaughterhouses and dairies. Cafés, restaurants, shops, canteens and bakeries are typically registered (rekisteröity) premises.
• Report serious health hazards immediately to the municipal food control authority. Report a known or suspected food poisoning immediately to the municipality's food control authority, not to THL directly. Cooperate with the authorities and keep them updated on establishments, significant changes and closures. Publish the latest inspection report, near the entrance or otherwise easily seen. Good practice guides are voluntary.
• Prepacked food carries name, ingredients with allergens emphasised, net quantity, date, operator, storage conditions and instructions where needed. Labels must not mislead the buyer about properties, composition, origin or method of production.

The authorities

• The municipality, through its board, is responsible for food control in its area.
• Ruokavirasto plans, guides, develops and carries out national food control.
• The authority has the right to inspect premises, examine documents and take samples, without a court order. It can order non-compliance to be corrected, ban activity that seriously endangers health, and order food withdrawn. Health inspectors evaluate own-check but do not perform it.
• Deliberately or carelessly supplying food that does not meet the general requirements is a food offence punishable by a fine.

Scenario

A young chef wants to open a café. She notifies the municipality at least four weeks before opening and attaches a description of her own-check and a floor plan. The café is a registered premises, not an approved one. After opening, the inspector evaluates her own-check; the responsibility for safe food stays with her.

Numbers to remember

Item	Value
Notification before start or essential change	at least 4 weeks
Registered premises	cafés, restaurants, shops, canteens, bakeries
Approved premises	slaughterhouses, dairies

Myth vs reality

• Myth: The Food Act is only a guideline. Reality: Food businesses must follow it.
• Myth: The local authority is responsible for shop food safety. Reality: The operator is; the authority supervises.
• Myth: Market events need not follow food law. Reality: Everyone doing food business follows it.
• Myth: Inspectors can only give recommendations. Reality: They can order corrections, ban activity and order withdrawal.

In the test

Who does what: the operator is responsible and the municipality supervises. Notify before opening, never after.