Helsinki city has imposed a €20,000 penalty on Armina Oy, the company operating Alanya Market, which is one of Finland's largest ethnic grocery stores. The penalty arises from complaints regarding the inadequate packaging labels of products sold at the Itis Alanya Market. The environmental and permit committee of the city government made this decision in their meeting held on February 13, with an emphasis on compliance with labeling laws to ensure that all product packaging provides the required information in both Finnish and Swedish.

The committee's ruling mandates that all sales packaging must contain legally required details in Finnish and Swedish and that these must be present on every individual product or its attached label. The authorities have issued the fine as a means to enforce this requirement. The deadline for fixing the labeling issues has been set for April 1, 2026. If the company fails to rectify the labeling by this deadline, it will be obligated to pay the imposed penalty.

Compliance with this decision is expected to be immediate. The city government's action underscores the importance of proper product labeling, particularly in a diverse society where various languages coexist, and it reflects an effort to hold businesses accountable for maintaining legal standards in food labeling practices, thereby protecting consumers and promoting transparency in the market.