Plant-based foods
There are safety and compliance requirements for plant-based foods imported both from outside the EU and from within the EU. You can read more about the requirements for foods on the Finnish Food Authority’s webpage.
Customs is responsible for the control of plant-based foods.
- Vegetables, mushrooms and their derivatives
- Fruits, berries and their derivatives
- Nuts, almonds and their derivatives
- Juices, drinks (not ones subject to the Alcohol Act) and drink ingredients
- Cocoa, coffee, tea and their derivatives
- Grains, grain products and bakery products
- Leguminous vegetables, seeds (not sowing seeds) and their derivatives
- Sweets, chocolate and other sugar products
- Spices and seasoning products
- Gravies, soups, broths and soup ingredients
- Food products, desserts, snack products
- Vegetable fats and vegetable oils
- Food supplements, meal replacements and food for special medical purposes
- Baby food.
The Finnish Food Authority controls the import of foodstuffs of animal origin, such as meat, fish or milk. Check the instructions on the Food Authority’s website: Import and export
How products are controlled
Customs can take samples from the product batch for examination. The food examinations include e.g. additives, pesticide residues, mycotoxins and other contaminants as well as their microbiological quality and genetic modification.
The products can also be subject to intensified import controls, when the batch is imported from outside the EU and declared in Finland.
What to do when importing from outside the EU
- Check if the product is a food under intensified control by the EU, in which case a notification must be made in TRACES. You can see the restriction in the commodity codes service Fintaric, when you check the restrictions according to commodity code and country of origin. Read more instructions on importing goods under intensified control.
- Even if the product is not subject to an intensified import control, Customs can take a sample of the product for examination. Read more about sampling on the page import of foods and consumer goods
- If you wish to speed up the import clearance, you can create an advance inquiry for the sampling if you have an invoice and packing list for the batch. Read more about the advance inquiry
- Submit the product labels (if they are not already on the product) along with the sample or according to the instruction in the customs declaration to the Customs Laboratory.
Examples of imports of products under intensified control
Customs can release the product for free circulation after you have created a CHED-D for the consignment in TRACES.
Read more instructions about importing goods under intensified controls.
Customs can release the product for free circulation after you have created a CHED-D for the batch and attached a batch-specific analysis report in TRACES.
Read more instructions about importing goods under intensified controls.
Customs can release the product for free circulation after you have created a CHED-D for the batch and attached a batch-specific analysis report as well as a phytosanitary certificate in TRACES. The analysis report and the phytosanitary certificate must be granted by a representative from China’s State Administration AQSIQ.
Read more instructions about importing goods under intensified controls.
Customs can release the products for free circulation once you have presented an analysis report for the batch as well as an official certificate from an authority in the country of origin. The certificate must correspond with the template in Annex III of the Commission’s Implementing Regulation.
Submit the documents to Customs in advance. Read more instructions about importing goods under intensified controls.
What to do when you import from within the EU
- Customs also has the right to take samples of foodstuffs imported from within the EU. Be prepared to provide Customs with information about the goods to be imported. Read more about sampling on the page Imports of foods and consumer goods
- Send the product labels (if they are not already on the product) with the sample to the Customs Laboratory.