Food is a favorite of many Finns from their trip to Estonia. However, it has limitations that a tourist may not know about.
The swine fever limits food imported into Finland. Eeva Paljakka
On their trips to Tallinn, the Finns have discovered a culinary delight: marinated pork.
Tallinn’s Stockmann department store manager Marge Turner says that Finnish tourists are enthusiastic about the saslik-marinated pork at the service counter.
However, the import of pork has been banned since 2014, due to African swine fever, which has also occurred in Estonia.
The Food Agency reports that African swine fever occurs in many EU countries (e.g. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). Only pork and wild boar meat products whose packaging has an oval EU identification mark may be brought into Finland from these areas.
– In the countries where the disease occurs, there may also be pork or wild boar meat products for sale that are only intended for local consumption. The packaging of products intended for local consumption does not have an oval EU mark and they may not be transported to other EU countries, writes the Food Agency Perttu Saralampi in his email reply.
The marking guarantees the traceability of the product and that it comes from controlled conditions. (Pork) meat products bought in bulk do not have an identification mark. Therefore, they may not be brought to Finland from areas where African swine fever occurs, explains the Food Agency Leena Oivanen.
The Food Agency recommends that products containing pork or wild boar meat are not imported at all as snacks or snacks from EU countries where African swine fever has been detected.
Estonian bread often ends up in the shopping bags of Finnish tourists. Eeva Paljakka
However, if a tourist brings unmarked pork into Finland, the punishment is likely to be fines or a maximum of 6 months in prison. In addition, it is possible that the importer will be charged the costs of disposing of the product and that he will be found liable for compensation and will be held liable for the financial damage he caused.
– In practice, customs monitors internal market imports as part of their other supervision, and if illegal products are received under their supervision, they take them over, writes Oivanen in his email reply.
He hopes that citizens will follow the existing legislation and the recommendations of the authorities and act responsibly in this matter.
In Estonia, we eat a lot of cakes and pastries. Eeva Paljakka
This year Stockmann’s department store celebrates its 30th birthday. From the beginning, its food department has also been a shopping place for tourists.
Department store manager Türner states that the favorites of Finnish tourists are bread, pastries and cakes, cheeses and chocolate.
Cheeses from smaller dairies are also available at Stockmann’s cheese counter in Tallinn. In addition to meat, cheese is Finns’ favorite food. Eeva Paljakka