Self-monitoring by producers and wholesalers of alcoholic beverages
To obtain a licence for the production or wholesale of alcoholic beverages, you must submit a self-monitoring plan in accordance with the Alcohol Act as an attachment to your licence application. The self-monitoring plan must describe the risks of the emergence of the detrimental effects laid down in the Alcohol Act, how compliance with law will be monitored, how the management of critical risks will be realised, and how any deficiencies detected will be remedied.
In accordance with the Alcohol Act, the producer and wholesaler of an alcoholic beverage is responsible for the quality and composition of the alcoholic beverage delivered for consumption. The producer and wholesaler are also responsible for ensuring that the product and its labelling and other presentation comply with the applicable regulations. For more information on legislation on the production and labelling of alcoholic beverages, see the Labelling of alcoholic beverages page.
You can freely determine the format of the self-monitoring plan, but you must take all the areas described in Valvira’s guideline into account in the plan. A template for a wholesaler’s self-monitoring plan is available at the end of this page. You may combine the self-monitoring plan under the Alcohol Act with an own-check plan under the Food Act.
Self-monitoring of warehouses and production premises for alcoholic beverages
The Food Act lays down the general requirements for foodstuffs and their control. The law covers all stages of food production, processing and distribution.
According to the Food Act, all businesses selling and manufacturing food, including alcoholic beverages, must operate in food premises, i.e. a facility registered with the food control authority. Submit a notification for the registration of a food business before the planned start of the activity. Production premises and wholesale warehouses for alcoholic beverages (both tax warehouses and others) must be reported to Valvira. Submit a written self-monitoring plan to Valvira with the notification.
For more information on food hygiene provisions, see the food-related provisions at the end of this page.
Recall
Preparing for and reporting recalls is part of a company’s self-monitoring actions. If a product sold by your company may pose a risk to the health of consumers or is unfit for human consumption, you are obliged to withdraw the product from the market and inform Valvira and consumers about the recall. Recall instructions must be kept as an appendix to the self-monitoring plan. A self-monitoring plan template is available at the end of this page. For more information on recalls, see the Recall page.
Self-monitoring is part of a company’s activities to ensure the quality and composition of the food it produces until it is handed over to the customer. It is also part of good customer service. Self-monitoring ensures that the company complies with the food regulations. Provisions on the obligation of businesses to carry out self-monitoring can be found in the Food Act under the term ‘own-checks’.
The self-monitoring plan specifies the measures to prevent a deterioration in quality. These measures are expressed as action levels and clear work instructions and guidelines. Points critical for product quality must be regularly monitored, and records must be kept of both the monitoring and the measures taken. All employees must be aware of the self-monitoring plan. The monitoring measures must cover the tools, equipment, machinery and products being produced at all stages of the process.
Companies are required to take samples of their ingredients, production stages, products and premises. The self-monitoring plan must include information about the laboratory where the samples specified in the plan will be analysed (the designated own-check laboratory).