Regulations Regarding Additional Marking of Mutton

Issued pursuant to
Section 13, Paragraph three, Clause 3 of the Law
on the Supervision of the Handling of Food

1. The Regulation prescribes the requirements for additional marking of mutton obtained from domestic sheep (Ovis aries) species (hereinafter - the sheep) that are slaughtered in Latvia if the meat is distributed on the Latvian market.

2. The Regulation shall apply to all stages of the food chain.

3. On the basis of the information available in the electronic database of the Agricultural Data Centre, the slaughterhouse shall identify all sheep according to their age, and shall divide sheep carcases into two categories after the slaughter thereof:

3.1. lamb carcases - carcases of such sheep that are less than 12 months old at the moment of slaughter;

3.2. carcases of other sheep - carcases of such sheep that are 12 months old or older at the moment of slaughter.

4. An employee of a slaughterhouse shall, within 60 minutes after the animal is slaughtered, mark the sheep carcases with the identification letter of the relevant category:

4.1. "J" if the sheep that is less than 12 months old has been slaughtered;

4.2. "A" if the sheep that is 12 months old or older has been slaughtered.

5. The following shall be indicated in the marking of sheep carcases next to the identification letter of the relevant category:

5.1. in the first row - the date of slaughter XxxD where X is the last number of the year, xx is the week of the year, and D is the day of the week;

5.2. in the second row - slaughter number (in Arabic numerals) on the specific day.

6. The outside surface of the carcase shall be marked by a stamp. If sheep carcases are cut in half-carcases or quarter carcases or half-carcases are cut into three parts, each cut of sheep carcase shall be marked.

7. An indelible and non-toxic ink shall be used for a stamp.

8. The letters and figures used in the marking must be at least two centimetres in height and perfectly legible.

9. The name to be used in the trade in mutton shall be indicated in the marking of fresh, chilled or frozen mutton (cut or not cut) and in accompanying documents in all stages of the food chain:

9.1. "Lamb" if the sheep that is less than 12 months old has been slaughtered;

9.2. "Mutton" if the sheep that is 12 months old or older has been slaughtered.

10. If mutton is offered to the final consumer in retail without packaging, a perfectly visible, legible, and indelible written indication containing the information referred to in Paragraph 9 of this Regulation shall be placed at the relevant place where food is distributed.

11. The name or designation of the specific piece of meat or edible offal may be additionally indicated in the marking, accompanying documents, and in the case referred to in Paragraph 10 of this Regulation.

12. Cabinet Regulation No. 127 of 9 February 2010, Regulations Regarding Marking of Mutton (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2010, No. 25), is repealed.

Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Translation © 2020 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)