Helsinki has imposed a 20,000 euro conditional fine on Armina Oy, the company that operates Alanya Market in the Itis shopping centre, after inspectors found missing Finnish and Swedish labelling on dozens of food products. Helsingin Uutiset first reported the fine.

The decision follows an inspection that revealed breaches of European Union rules on packaging information. The city’s environment and permits sub-committee approved the fine at a meeting on Thursday 13 February.

Alanya Market opened in Itäkeskus at the end of 2023 in the former premises of Stockmann’s Food Market Herkku. The store spans more than 2,000 square metres and stocks over 10,000 items, many imported from the Middle East and other regions.

Under EU regulation, mandatory food information must appear in Finnish and Swedish on each retail package or on a label attached to the product. According to the city’s food safety unit, a sample-based inspection on 4 December 2025 found that dozens of packaged foods lacked the required language markings.

The inspection followed an order issued to Armina Oy on 23 October 2025 requiring the company to correct deficiencies in packaging labels. Inspectors stated that they did not examine every product because of the scale of the selection. Despite the limited sample, they recorded a significant number of omissions.

The conditional fine serves as an enforcement measure. If the company fails to comply with the order by 1 April, the city can require payment of the 20,000 euros.

Alanya Market ranks among the largest ethnic grocery chains in Finland. The company has expanded in recent years and operates stores in Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere and Turku. Armina Oy reported turnover of about 8.9 million euros last year.

Shopkeeper Emin Gürmüç said translating packaging texts requires time and staff resources. “There is no such thing that the markings come from the factory, we translate them ourselves,” he told Helsingin Sanomat. He added that two employees work on translations and that the store aims to correct the situation before the deadline.

Gürmüç described the city’s supervision as justified and said he believes the matter will be resolved within the set timeframe.

The case centres on compliance with labelling standards designed to ensure that consumers receive information about ingredients, allergens and storage instructions in the country’s official languages.

HT