Ruokatieto Yhdistys (Finfood – Finnish Food Information)

Ruokatieto Yhdistys ry communicates the expertise and work within the Finnish food chain. Our mission is to enhance awareness and appreciation of the Finnish food industry and its products, as well as to strengthen the demand for domestic food. With over 350 members and licensees, we represent a broad spectrum of the food industry, including primary production, manufacturing, and retail. At the heart of our work is the Hyvää Suomesta label, the most respected origin mark for Finnish food. Additionally, we promote food education for children and youth, raising awareness about the journey of food from farm to table. We also promote and support the development of food exports and contribute to country branding.

Ruokatieto administers the Hyvää Suomesta label (Produce of Finland) which is a voluntary designation of origin for Finnish packaged food products. The label is used by food industry companies operating in Finland that manufacture their products using Finnish ingredients.

Ruokatieto Yhdistys has 350 members. The membership base comprises the whole value chain representing the Finnish food chain in industry, trade and agriculture, all companies that use the Hyvää Suomesta – Produce of Finland label, and other communities.

Ruokatieto acts as the coordinator of the national food export strategy, representing the entire food sector. In cooperation with member organisations and networks, we are developing a business-oriented growth platform for food exports. We will develop the model with project funding over the next two years, but our aim is to establish it as part of Ruokatieto’s core activities.

We are building Ruokatieto’s thought leadership as an expert in domestic food and the food chain. We will highlight views, information, and experiences that guide the discussion on responsible food, food chain cooperation, and consumer choices. Thought leadership strengthens the impact of our communications and positions the association as a trendsetter in the food debate.

As the center for Finnish Food Information, the association implements several forums:

Hyvää Suomesta/Produce of Finland: Label for designation of origin for Finnish packaged foods, the label is owned and administered by Ruokatieto Yhdistys ry. The label Hyvää Suomesta (Produce of Finland), has been implemented since 1993, the use of label is voluntary and may be used by food companies that manufacture their products in Finland using Finnish ingredients. The label is currently used by approximately 350 food producers and on 12 000 different products.

Ruokatieto.fi -website:  The website reveals the journey taken by food produce from field to table, introduces the richness of Finnish food culture, and offers food education materials to educators on all levels.

Food education: Popular study materials are produced for teachers and pupils to be used in schools, as well as for consumers with an interest in food. Study materials are available for all levels of education ranging from preschool to university.

Forkful of Facts – Food Industry Statistics: Ruokatieto Yhdistys ry publishes annually a brochure of food industry statistics, named Forkful of Facts (available on website for download in Finnish, Swedish and English). It contains a wide variety of figures concerning Finnish agriculture covering the entire food chain from field to fork.

More information about the Hyvää Suomesta label

The Hyvää Suomesta (Produce of Finland) label is a voluntary designation of origin for Finnish packaged food products. The label is used by food industry companies operating in Finland that manufacture their products using Finnish ingredients. The Hyvää Suomesta – Produce of Finland label is owned by Ruokatieto Yhdistys ry (Finfood – Finnish Food Information association).

The Produce of Finland activities increase appreciation and demand for Finnish food. Our tasks include
• maintaining awareness of the Produce of Finland label through our communications and by encouraging our members to use the label actively and communicate about it
• maintaining appreciation of the Produce of Finland label by managing its use and supervision.

Criteria for use of the label

The Produce of Finland label may be printed on a food product package or label as a designation of origin provided any meat, fish, eggs and milk in the product is 100% Finnish and 75% of all the ingredients are Finnish. Products made up of a single ingredient must be 100% Finnish. In addition, the end product for sale must be manufactured and packaged in Finland.

The Produce of  Finland label is always printed either on the product package or package label. Ruokatieto Yhdistys / Finfood – Finnish Food Information association grants the producer or manufacturer the right to use the label only on food products that meet the criteria. The products are registered and the company audited on a regular basis.

The label is a designation of origin, highly appreciated in Finland

The Produce of Finland – Hyvää Suomesta activities are the unique outcome of cooperation within the Finnish food industry.  The whole food production chain is involved: farmers, the industry, food industry employees, retailers and consumers.

The label is currently used by 350 food producers on over 12 000 products. Product categories vary from sausages to liqueur and everything in between.

The label is recognised by more than 90% of Finns, and foods that carry the label are considered safe and of high quality. For many years now, the Hyvää Suomesta label has been one of the most highly appreciated brands in Finland.

The label was designed by Professor Kyösti Varis. It depicts the Finnish national bird, the whooper swan, together with the Finnish flag. The label was first published in December 1993. In 2012, a new communication concept “Ruokaa omasta maasta” (Food from our own country) was added as text in the shape of a flag surrounding the original Hyvää Suomesta label.

The association rules state that the organisation shall not engage in any activity which generates a profit or other direct economic benefit for its members,1 nor shall its activity become principally economic. The executive committee of the association consists of fifteen board members representing widely Finnish food industry, retailers and agriculture. The chairman of the committee is elected among the representatives of farmers, food industry and trade, and the Managing Director is elected by the board. The current Managing Director is Anni-Mari Syväniemi.

EU promotion programmes coordinated by Ruokatieto

Ruokatieto provides its members with information on EU information and promotion funding opportunities. If necessary, project applications can be submitted in cooperation with interested and committed organisations.

In recent years, Ruokatieto has actively utilized EU promotion funding opportunities to promote Finnish food exports.

2025–2027 EU Oats Asia: Multi Programme for the Eastern Asian market together with Lantbrukarnas Riksförbund, oats

2024–2027 EU DeliSus: Simple Programme for the Chinese market, pork and dairy

2021–2024 EU QualityMeat: Simple Programme for the Chinese market, poultry and pork (programme completed)

Further information:
Ruokatieto Yhdistys ry (Finfood, Finnish Food Information)
tel. +358 40 710 4170, ruokatieto@ruokatieto.fi
We serve you in Finnish, English and Swedish