Good to know about food sales
Berries and mushrooms can be sold immediately. Other products may have separate requirements. Read the guide for different product categories.
In brief
- ✓ Berries, mushrooms and herbs - can be sold immediately, no registration required
- ! Fish - notification to the Food Authority before selling
- ! Game - inspection requirement for large animals
- ! Processed products - food premises registration required
🫐🍄🌿 Berries, mushrooms and herbs
Good news!
Self-collected familiar and traditional wild products can be sold without notifying the authorities (Food Act 297/2021, § 8). Everyman's rights give you the right to pick and sell.
Where can you sell?
- ✓ At home
- ✓ At the market
- ✓ To local retail stores
- ✓ To daycare centers and nursing homes
What counts as primary production? (no notification required)
- • Storage, transport, cleaning, washing and sorting
- • Other market preparation or handling (must not significantly change the product)
- • Wrapping or packaging into consumer packages
Processing without registration
When the collector processes their own collected products, the processing is usually low-risk and non-professional activity - NO notification is required:
Berries
- • Mashing
- • Freezing
- • Drying
Mushrooms and herbs
- • Drying
- • Blanching
- • Cooking
- • Salting
Exception: False morels
Cooking false morels and selling cooked mushrooms to consumers (market, retail, commercial kitchen) ALWAYS requires a food business registration notification to the municipality.
If someone else processes your products
If someone other than the collector processes wild berries, mushrooms or herbs (mashing, freezing, drying, etc.), a food business registration notification must be made.
Species identification is important
The collector must be able to correctly identify their collected products and distinguish them from harmful or poisonous species. According to the Food Act, it is the seller's responsibility to ensure that products are safe for consumers.
The collection location must be such that the products have not been exposed to contamination.
Novel foods
Some wild plants may be novel foods, which require a separate novel food permit to sell. Familiar and traditional species are usually not novel foods.
🐟 Fish
A fisher can sell their catch directly to consumers. You need:
- 1. Notification to the Food Authority about primary production
- 2. Self-monitoring plan (simple document)
The notification is free and processing usually takes 1-2 weeks.
Fisher's guide🦌 Game
A hunter can sell their catch directly to consumers under certain conditions. Rules depend on the animal species and sales method.
Two sales routes
Primary production (direct sales)
Sales directly to consumer without food premises. Primary production notification is made to the municipality.
- • Small game: unskinned or skinned
- • Large game: only unskinned (uninspected)
Through food premises
Through a registered game handling facility or food premises. Required for large game sales.
- • Large game undergoes meat inspection
- • Allows sale of portioned meat
Annual sales limits per hunter (primary production)
Small game
- Hares1 000 kpl
- Birds3 000 kpl
Large game (unskinned)
- Moose10 kpl
- Roe deer50 kpl
- White-tailed deer30 kpl
Limits apply to direct sales to consumers. Sales through food premises are not limited to these quantities.
Inspection requirements
Large game (moose, deer)
Selling portioned meat requires meat inspection. You can only sell uninspected meat unskinned (whole carcass in fur).
Small game (birds, hares)
Does not require meat inspection. Can be sold directly to consumers unskinned or skinned.
Trichinella testing required
Bear and wild boar ALWAYS require trichinella testing before the meat can be released. Testing is done in a laboratory before sale.
This also applies to meat intended for personal use and meat delivered to hunting parties.
Hunting parties and private events
Releasing uninspected meat for private events (such as hunting parties) is allowed when the serving is free and the event is closed to invited guests. Bear and wild boar still require trichinella testing.
🍯 Processed products
If you process raw materials (jams, juices, preserves, dried products), you need:
- • Food premises registration with the municipality
- • Self-monitoring plan
- • Mandatory labeling
Exception: Honey can be sold without premises registration within certain limits.
Food premises guideNeed help?
If you are unsure about requirements, contact your local food control authority. They are happy to help!