Finland

Codex Contact Point

Ms Anne Haikonen, Advisory Committee on Foodstuffs, Finnish Codex Contact Point PO Box 30, 00023 Government

Fax:
+358 9 1605 3338

Email:
[email protected]
[email protected]

Competent authorities

Name of authority:
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
• prepares legislation
• concludes with Finnish Food Authority an annual performance agreement incl. specific objectives and deliverables as well as strategic objectives for a few years period

FINNISH FOOD AUTHORITY (started January 1 2019)
• previous Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira and the Finnish Agency for Rural Affairs as well as a part of the National Land Survey of Finland's Centre for ICT Services were amalgamated => the Finnish Food Authority
• promotes, supervises and examines food safety and quality, animal health and welfare, plant health, fertilisers, animal feed, plant protection products, soil conditioners, plant propagation material and raw materials used in agricultural and forestry production
• responsible for the use of the assets of the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in Finland, acts as the Finnish paying agency, and manages EU and national subsidies
• central competent authority of food safety
• directing, planning and carrying out control of the whole agri-food sector
• scientific risk assessment and scientific research
• multi-annual national control plan covering entire food chain
• responsible for
o food control incl. meat inspection in slaughterhouses and establishments connected to them
o import control of animals and foods of animal origin (veterinary border inspections)

REGIONAL STATE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES
• planning, steering and monitoring food and veterinary control
• monitoring compliance with food law and other legislation concerning animal health and welfare as well as veterinary services in their respective regions
• auditing of the municipal food control authorities

MUNICIPAL FOOD CONTROL AUTHORITIES
• food control within their respective areas
• by mutual agreement, municipal authorities can also perform some duties of the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira
• food control at the municipal level is part of environmental health work
• currently 311 municipalities
o food control and veterinary services are provided by 62 joint municipal authorities

Mandate/competence:
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY:
https://mmm.fi/en/frontpage?p_p_id=missinglanguageversionnotification_WAR_languageversiontoolportlet&_missinglanguageversionnotification_WAR_languageversiontoolportlet_missingLanguageVersion=1

FINNISH FOOD AUTHORITY:
https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/

FOOD SAFETY IN FINLAND 2017:
https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/globalassets/tietoa-meista/julkaisut/julkaisusarjat/julkaisuja/en/eviran_julkaisuja_4_2018_uk_310818.pdf

INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point

The INFOSAN Emergency contact point is in the Finnish Food Authority, e-mail: [email protected]

Food safety and consumer protection – laws and regulations

The current list of legislation, related to food safety and consumer protection in each country, is extracted from FAO's database on Food Legislation FAOLEX. While FAOLEX makes every effort to serve as a high quality, reliable source of information, no guarantee is given that the information provided in FAOLEX is correct, complete, and up-to-date.

The national Codex programme

National Codex consultative mechanism

Sub-committee on Food Legislation and Control
* under the Committee on Food Policy in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
* set for 3-year period
members
* experts on food law and food control
* representatives of the food industry, food trade, consumer issues, primary production and agriculture
tasks
*to handle national and EU matters relating to food safety and quality
*to develop and reconsile national coordination of the international cooperation relating to food legislation and standardization
*to operate as the national Codex Alimentarius Committee
expert groups (16) appointed by the sub-committee
*coordination of international issues – contaminants and radioactive resuidues in foodstuffs – fishery products – food contact materials – food hygiene – food improvement agents and irradiation of foodstuffs – food information – food supplements – import and export control of foodstuffs – meat and meat inspection – milk and milk products – new technologies – nutrition – pesticide residues – veterinary drugs, residues of veterinary drugs and antimicrobial resistance – SME enterprises in the food sector – vertical regulations
*discussions on issues requiring more detailed examination

Providers of scientific and technical input to national consultation on Codex

Representatives of the food industry, food trade, consumer issues, primary production and agriculture.

Risk Assessments and Scientific Data

National bodies providing risk assessment and scientific advice

• Finnish Food Authority – Laboratories and Research department: https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/about-us/what-is-the-finnish-food-authority/
• Customs laboratory
• other laboratories as appropriate
• Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke): https://www.luke.fi/en/
• National Institute for Health and welfare (THL): https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en
• Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes): https://tukes.fi/en/frontpage

Risk assessment, risk profiles, scientific opinions

Microbiological and chemical risk assessment of food safety in the Finnish Food Authority:
https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/organisations/risk-assessment/risk-assessment-of-food-safety/

The results of scientific work by the Finnish Food Authority:
https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/organisations/scientific-research/publications-and-presentations/

Official Laboratories

Official Laboratory:
Official laboratories authorized by the Finnish Food Authority:
https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/laboratoriopalvelut/ruokaviraston-hyvaksymat-laboratoriot/

Official Competence:

Surveillance of foodborne diseases and monitoring of food contamination

National surveillance systems – foodborne disease in humans

• Obligatory notifications to officials and registers about suspected foodborne infections.
• Laboratory based surveillance maintained by national central public health laboratory.
• National infectious disease register maintained by central public health authority (THL).
• RYMY electronic foodborne outbreak reporting system and database used by all competent authorities both in public health and food safety involved in examination and surveillance of foodborne outbreaks.

National monitoring systems – foodborne hazards in the food chain

• Local outbreak response team: team containing both public health and food safety officials examines every suspected foodborne outbreak in its area.
• Obligatory notifications via food chain about suspected food safety risks (food laboratories - food business operators – local officials - central food safety authority).
• National/EU surveillance and control programs (Salmonella, Campylobacter, EHEC, AMR, GMOs, chemical contaminants, pesticide residues).
• Laboratory based surveillance: confirmation and or analysis of certain laboratory findings in national reference food laboratory, obligatory notification to central food safety authority about certain findings of official laboratories.