Text consolidated by Valsts valodas centrs (State
Language Centre) with amending laws of:
13 December 2001 [shall
come into force on 1 January 2002];
12 September 2002 [shall come into force on 16 October
2002];
6 November 2003 [shall come into force on 10 December
2003];
21 October 2004 [shall come into force on 24 November
2004];
17 November 2005 [shall come into force on 21 December
2005];
15 December 2005 [shall come into force on 21 December
2005];
19 December 2006 [shall come into force on 1 January
2007];
27 September 2007 [shall come into force on 5 October
2007];
6 December 2007 [shall come into force on 20 December
2007];
24 January 2008 [shall come into force on 26 February
2008];
12 June 2009 [shall come into force on 1 July
2009];
12 November 2009 [shall come into force on 15 December
2009];
1 December 2009 [shall come into force on 1 January
2010];
20 May 2010 [shall come into force on 23 June
2010];
28 October 2010 [shall come into force on 24 November
2010];
13 September 2012 [shall come into force on 12 October
2012];
23 October 2014 [shall come into force on 26 November
2014];
27 April 2017 [shall come into force on 24 May
2017];
25 October 2018 [shall come into force on 28 November
2018];
21 November 2019 [shall come into force on 14 December
2019];
7 May 2020 [shall come into force on 3 June 2020].
If a whole or part of a section has been amended, the
date of the amending law appears in square brackets at
the end of the section. If a whole section, paragraph or
clause has been deleted, the date of the deletion appears
in square brackets beside the deleted section, paragraph
or clause.
|
The Saeima1 has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following Law:
Law on the
Supervision of the Handling of Food
Chapter I
General Provisions
Section 1. The terms used in this
Law are as follows:
1) [17 November 2005];
2) [13 December 2001];
3) quality - the set of characteristics that ensures
the conformity of food with the needs of consumers and the
specific requirements of the laws and regulations;
4) safe food - food which in normal or foreseeable
conditions of its use does not cause harm to human health, life,
or the environment;
5) [17 November 2005];
6) handling of food - all operations with food from the
acquisition thereof to consumption (primary production,
acquisition, pre-treatment, treatment, processing, manufacturing,
packaging, storage, distribution, transport, movement across the
State border, wholesale trade, and retail trade);
7) [17 November 2005];
8) food additive - a substance which, irrespective of
its nutritional value, is not normally used as nutrition by
itself as a food or as a characteristic component of nutrition,
but is deliberately added to food during the process of
treatment, processing, manufacturing, packaging, storage, or
transportation, and then the substance mentioned or its
by-products become a component of the food product;
9) food establishment - a person who is involved in any
of the stages of the handling of food;
10) [17 November 2005];
11) [17 November 2005];
12) [17 November 2005];
13) [17 November 2005];
14) [28 October 2010];
15) third countries - countries which are not Member
States of the European Union or countries of the European
Economic Area;
16) [17 November 2005];
17) [17 November 2005];
18) labelling of food - information (name, text,
indication, trademark, logo, image, or symbol) which refers to a
food product and is indicated on the packaging, the accompanying
documents, labels or stickers, or holders;
19) domestic market - selling of products manufactured
in Latvia for consumption in Latvia;
20) [17 November 2005];
21) [17 November 2005];
22) materials and articles intended to come into contact
with food - materials and articles that have come into
contact with food and are intended to come into contact with
food, and there is reason to believe that they will come into
contact with food or will transfer their constituents to food
under normal or foreseeable conditions of use;
23) novel foods - food products and ingredients of food
products which conform to the categories specified in Article
3(2) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 25 November 2015 on novel foods, amending
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of
the Council and repealing Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the
European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulation
(EC) No 1852/2001.
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005; 24 January 2008; 20 May 2010; 28
October 2010; 27 April 2017 / The new wording of Clause 23
shall come into force on 1 January 2018. See Paragraph 25
of the Transitional Provisions]
Chapter
II
Purpose and Scope of this Law
Section 2. The purpose of this Law is to ensure
handling the food which is qualitative and safe to human health,
life, and the environment, eliminating the risks, promoting the
trade, and protecting the interests of consumers.
Section 3. (1) This Law prescribes the national
competence issues with regard to the handling of all forms of
food and any food establishment and natural person involved in
it. Issues regarding the handling of food and its monitoring
which are not governed by this Law shall be governed by
regulations of the European Union: Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002
laying down the general principles and requirements of food law,
establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down
procedures in matters of food safety (hereinafter - Regulation No
178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council);
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs; Regulation
(EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of
29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of
animal origin (hereinafter - Regulation No 853/2004 of the
European Parliament and of the Council); Regulation (EU) 2017/625
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on
official controls and other official activities performed to
ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal
health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products,
amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No
1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No
652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European
Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005
and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC,
1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and
repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of
the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives
89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC,
96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official
Controls Regulation) (hereinafter - Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of
the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls),
and other legal acts of direct applicability.
(2) If international agreements ratified by the Saeima
provide for provisions which differ from those in this Law, the
provisions of the international agreements shall prevail.
[27 November 2005; 23 October 2014; 21 November
2019]
Chapter
III
Food and the Handling Thereof
Section 4. (1) In Latvia, only the handling of food
which complies with quality and mandatory safety requirements is
permitted.
(2) The mandatory safety requirements the conformity with
which ensures safety of food products, handling of food, or the
service related thereto to human health, life, or the environment
shall be determined by the Cabinet.
(3) The Cabinet may stipulate special requirements for food
which is intended for separate consumer groups.
(4) For separate groups of food products, the Cabinet shall
determine quality and classification requirements, and also the
procedures for assessing the conformity of the relevant products
with such requirements.
(5) [17 November 2005]
(6) [23 October 2014]
(7) [21 October 2004]
(8) Food which contains genetically modified organisms or is
manufactured from them may be distributed in Latvia only after
obtaining the relevant permits in accordance with the procedures
laid down in laws and regulations.
(9) [17 November 2005]
(10) [28 October 2010]
(101) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures by
which:
1) a permit for distribution of natural mineral water in the
market shall be issued and cancelled;
2) food supplements shall be registered, the handling thereof
shall be suspended or restricted, and the registration thereof
shall be cancelled;
3) notify of the distribution of food products belonging to
specific groups, register them, and cancel registration.
(11) The operation of the rapid alert system which is
coordinated and organised exchange of information and action of
persons and competent authorities involved in the handling of
food in cases when there is a direct or indirect risk caused by
food to human health and life shall be determined by the
Cabinet.
(12) The Cabinet shall determine the requirements for food
quality schemes, and also the procedures for the implementation,
operation, monitoring, and control thereof.
(13) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for training
and raising of qualification of classifiers of animal carcasses,
and also for the issuance and cancellation of a certificate
proving the qualification of the classifier.
(14) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for
recognising and monitoring laboratories that carry out laboratory
tests of raw milk quality.
(15) A State fee shall be paid for the registration of an
application for the designation of a protected geographical
origin, name of a protected place of origin, traditional
speciality guaranteed, for the issuance of a notice of an
opposition decision and for the registration of an amendment to
the specification. The amount of the State fee and the payment
procedures shall be determined by the Cabinet.
(16) [13 September 2012 / See Paragraph 20 of Transitional
Provisions]
(17) The Cabinet shall determine the maximum permitted amount
of trans fats in food products.
(18) The Cabinet shall determine the plants and parts of
plants prohibited for human consumption.
(19) The Cabinet shall determine the requirements in the field
of the handling of food in Latvia in accordance with the directly
applicable legal acts of the European Union in the field of the
handling of food.
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005; 15 December 2005; 19 December
2006; 24 January 2008; 12 November 2009; 20 May 2010; 28 October
2010; 13 September 2012; 23 November 2014; 27 April 2017; 25
October 2018; 21 November 2019 / Amendment regarding the
deletion of Paragraph three shall come into force on 1 January
2023 and shall be included in the wording of the Law as of 1
January 2023. See Paragraph 26 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Section 5. (1) A food establishment is involved in the
handling of food if it has been approved or registered.
(2) Approval of a food establishment is required if it has
been specified in Regulation No 853/2004 of the European
Parliament and of the Council. A food establishment shall be
approved, the approval number shall be granted, and the approval
certificate upon request of the establishment shall be issued by
the Food and Veterinary Service.
(3) A food establishment the approval of which is not
necessary may engage in the handling of food if it is registered
with the Food and Veterinary Service. Upon request of the food
establishment the Food and Veterinary Service shall issue a
registration certificate.
(4) The procedures for approving food establishments or
registering them shall be determined by the Cabinet.
(5) [25 October 2018]
(6) [17 November 2005]
(7) [6 December 2007]
(8) [17 November 2005]
[12 September 2002; 21 October 2004; 17 November 2005; 6
December 2007; 12 November 2009; 20 May 2010; 23 October 2014; 25
October 2018]
Section 6.
[13 December 2001]
Section 7. (1) A food establishment shall, in its
operation, be responsible for the quality and safety of food, and
also for the conformity of the food to be distributed with the
requirements laid down in laws and regulations and declared by
the establishment.
(2) A person who has become engaged in one of the stages of
the handling of food shall be responsible for the fulfilment of
all the requirements of the laws and regulations governing the
handling of food.
(3) In its operation , a food establishment may follow the
Guidelines on Good Hygiene Practices which are developed by the
professional associations and foundations of the food industry in
consultation with representatives of consumer groups and
competent State authorities. The Guidelines on Good Hygiene
Practices shall be coordinated with the Food and Veterinary
Service.
(4) [17 November 2005]
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005]
Section 8. (1) A food establishment has an obligation
to perform self-monitoring and to eliminate any activity or
process which may have an adverse effect on the food safety. The
food establishment shall, without delay, inform the relevant
territorial unit of the Food and Veterinary Service of
non-conforming results of the indicators of food safety and the
measures implemented for the elimination of non-conformities.
(2) [17 November 2005]
(3) Persons involved in the handling of food must comply with
the hygiene requirements for personnel laid down in laws and
regulations.
(4) [17 November 2005]
(5) The manager of a food establishment shall be responsible
for the professional qualification of the persons employed in the
handling of food in his or her establishment. The Cabinet shall
determine the procedures by which persons involved in handling of
food shall be trained in the field of food hygiene, and also the
requirements with regard to the training programme and
certificate.
(6) [6 November 2003]
(7) Food establishments must conform to a documented packet of
measures which ensures the conformity of hygiene and
manufacturing with the quality requirements stipulated by the
manufacturer.
(8) A food establishment shall provide the necessary support
and ensure that the Food and Veterinary Service can carry out its
control in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and
regulations.
(9) A food establishment has the right to request that the
inspector of the Food and Veterinary Service takes a parallel
sample of the objects referred to in Section 23, Clauses 2 and 4
of this Law for carrying out an independent testing of this
sample. The parallel sample shall be tested in an accredited
laboratory with an equivalent method which is used for testing
the sample taken within the framework of control in accordance
with the laws and regulations governing the handling of food.
(10) The hygiene requirements for primary production and for
direct supply of products of primary production in small amounts
to the final consumer or to a retail trade establishment which
directly supplies the final consumer, and also the volume of the
abovementioned supply shall be determined by the Cabinet.
(11) [12 November 2009]
(12) The procedures for issuing, suspending, and restoring a
permit for the sale of primary products shall be determined by
the Cabinet.
(13) A food establishments has an obligation to provide the
Food and Veterinary Service with information which, in accordance
with the directly applicable legal acts of the European Union in
the field of the handling of food, must be provided to the
European Union institutions.
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005; 12 November 2009; 23 October
2014; 21 November 2019]
Section 9.
[17 November 2005]
Section 9.1 A person shall ensure that the
food which he grows and uses for private domestic consumption,
hands over to family members and persons with whom he shares the
household, and also to other persons within the household,
conforms to the safety requirements in accordance with the laws
and regulations in the field of the handling of food.
[23 October 2014]
Section 10. (1) The Cabinet with regard to the
materials and articles intended to come into contact with food,
shall determine:
1) the mandatory safety requirements;
2) the procedures by which their distribution and use shall be
suspended, and also the procedures for further use and
destruction in case of violation of laws and regulations;
3) the procedures for registering production, processing, and
distribution establishments, for suspending and restoring their
operation, and also for cancelling their registration.
(2) The premises to be used in the handling of food and other
areas in buildings or means of transport, and also ancillary
premises which are necessary to ensure personnel hygiene must
conform to the hygiene requirements for food establishments laid
down in laws and regulations.
(3) Contaminants, including pesticide residues, in food shall
not exceed the maximum allowed norms laid down in the directly
applicable legal acts of the European Union. The Cabinet shall
determine the procedures for taking and preparing samples and
evaluating test results for the control of pesticide residues in
products of plant and animal origin.
(4) [12 November 2009]
(5) [12 November 2009]
(6) A food establishment shall submit an application for the
production of a new food additive, flavouring, or enzyme to the
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR" or
send to the European Commission in accordance with the
requirements laid down in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No
1331/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16
December 2008 establishing a common authorisation procedure for
food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings, and in
Commission Regulation (EU) No 234/2011 of 10 March 2011
implementing Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 of the European
Parliament and of the Council establishing a common authorisation
procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavouring,
as well as in Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 2065/2003 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 10 November 2003 on
smoke flavourings used or intended for use in or on foods.
[12 September 2002; 17 November 2005; 19 December 2006; 12
November 2009; 28 October 2010; 23 October 2014]
Section 11. Drinking water, and also water which is
used in the handling of food or for the washing of stock and
equipment related to food, and also ice which is used in direct
cooling must conform to the requirements of laws and regulations,
except for treatment of fresh fish on the open sea where purified
sea water may also be used in technological processes of the
handling of food.
[12 September 2002; 17 November 2005]
Section 11.1 The Cabinet shall determine the
procedures for distributing iodised salt and the cases when it is
used in food production.
[6 November 2003]
Section 11.2 (1) If the minimum durability
date has expired for food which has been labelled with "Best
before...", it may not be distributed, except when distribution
takes place in accordance with Cabinet regulations.
(2) The Cabinet shall determine the groups of products, the
type of and procedures for distribution, and also the time period
in which food labelled with "Best before..." is allowed to be
distributed after expiry of the minimum durability date.
[25 October 2018 / This Section shall come into
force on 1 July 2019. See Paragraph 29 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Section 12. It is prohibited to use radiation
sterilisation in the handling of food, except for cases when its
use is provided for in Cabinet regulations.
Section 12.1 The content of acetic acid in
acetic acid solution used in food and to be distributed in retail
trade shall not exceed 10 per cent by weight.
[21 November 2019]
Section 13. (1) The information provided as well as
advertising on a label may not be misleading and may not
attribute such qualities to food products as they do not
possess.
(2) A food establishment which has manufactured or
pre-packaged food, or a distributor of food, if they have changed
the original pre-packaging or labelling or have attached a new
label, shall be responsible for the conformity of the labelling
with the actual indicators and pre-packaged contents.
(3) The Cabinet shall determine the requirements:
1) for the labelling of pre-packaged food;
2) for the provision of information regarding non-prepackaged
food;
3) for additional labelling of food products.
(4) [20 May 2010]
(5) Within the meaning of Paragraph 19 of Annex V to
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food
information to consumers, amending Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006
and (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the
Council, and repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC, Council
Directive 90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive
2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council,
Commission Directives 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission
Regulation (EC) No 608/2004, home-produced and distributed food
shall be considered small quantity of food products which is not
subject to the requirement regarding mandatory provision of
nutrition information.
[6 December 2007; 20 May 2010; 23 October 2014; 27 April
2017]
Chapter
IV
Food Unfit for Distribution
Section 14. The State chief food and veterinary
inspector, the State senior inspector, the State inspector of the
Food and Veterinary Service (hereinafter - the officials of the
Food and Veterinary Service), the producer, or the distributor
shall recognise food as unfit for distribution if:
1) it does not conform to the mandatory safety
requirements;
2) its expiry date has passed;
3) it has not been labelled in conformity with the
requirements of laws and regulations;
4) in tests, based upon evidence, its spoilage has been
determined, and also the worsening of the organoleptic
characteristics of the food detectable by human sensory
organs;
5) it is falsified or the consumer is being misled;
6) it does not have the accompanying documents laid down in
laws and regulations;
7) it is provided for in other laws and regulations.
[13 December 2001; 12 November 2009; 27 April 2017; 25
October 2018]
Section 15. (1) The Cabinet shall approve regulations
on the procedures for further use or destruction of food unfit
for distribution.
(2) The distributor of the food shall cover the costs which
are related to the recall, processing, or destruction of unfit
food. In such case, he shall also cover costs relating to State
supervision and control.
[13 December 2001]
Chapter V
State Supervision and Control of the Handling of Food
Section 16.
[13 September 2012]
Section 17.
[13 December 2001]
Section 18.
[13 September 2012]
Section 19. (1) The Ministry of Health shall develop
and coordinate the nutrition policy, prepare proposals for
optimisation of the nutrition policy, analyse the results of the
monitoring of the diseases caused by nutrition, and also organise
the preparation of scientifically substantiated proposals for
solving nutrition problems and inform the public of current
issues related to nutrition.
(2) The Minister for Health shall establish an advisory
nutrition council for the development and coordination of the
nutrition policy which shall operate in accordance with the
by-laws approved by the Cabinet.
(3) The Minster for Health shall approve the recommended food
ration and healthy nutrition recommendations for the inhabitants
of Latvia.
(31) The Cabinet shall approve the food ration for
educatees of general basic education, general secondary
education, and vocational education institutions, and also of
educational institutions implementing pre-school educational
programmes, for clients of long-term social care and social
rehabilitation institutions, and for patients of medical
treatment institutions.
(4) The Health Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health shall
control the fulfilment of the drinking water safety requirements
in public drinking water supply facilities from the water intake
to the consumer. In case of threat to consumer health the Health
Inspectorate has the right to restrict or prohibit the use of
drinking water.
(5) The Cabinet shall determine procedures for monitoring and
control of drinking water.
(6) The authority stipulated by the Cabinet may, in accordance
with the procedures stipulated by the Cabinet,determine reduced
safety or quality requirements for drinking water for a specific
time period which in a given geographical area is supplied to the
inhabitants through water supply systems, if these requirements
do not pose a threat to consumer health and the drinking water
cannot be supplied in another way.
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005; 15 December 2005; 27 September
2007; 12 November 2009; 20 May 2010; 28 October 2010]
Section 20. (1) [17 November 2005]
(2) A State fee shall be paid for the registration of food
supplements, food products belonging to specific groups referred
to in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 12 June 2013 on food intended for infants and
young children, food for special medical purposes, and total diet
replacement for weight control and repealing Council Directive
92/52/EEC, Commission Directives 96/8/EC, 1999/21/EC, 2006/125/EC
and 2006/141/EC, Directive 2009/39/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 41/2009 and
(EC) No 953/2009 (Text with EEA relevance) (hereinafter -
Regulation No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the
Council) and for the issuance of a permit for the distribution of
natural mineral water on the market. The amount of the State fee
and the payment procedures shall be determined by the
Cabinet.
(3) [27 April 2017 / See Paragraph 25 of the Transitional
Provisions]
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005; 15 December 2005; 12 November
2009; 28 October 2010; 27 April 2017; 25 October 2018 /
Amendment to Paragraph two shall come into force on 1 January
2019 and shall be included in the wording of the Law as on 1
January 2019. See Paragraphs 26.1 and
26.2 of the Transitional Provisions]
Section 21. (1) The Food and Veterinary Service shall
organise and implement the supervision and control of the
handling of food in accordance with Regulation No 2017/625 of the
European Parliament and of the Council on official controls and
also shall be the competent authority in the fields specified in
Article 1(2)(a), (i), and (j) of Regulation No 2017/625 of the
European Parliament and of the Council on official controls.
(2) The Food and Veterinary Service shall have the following
functions:
1) in the handling of food:
a) to supervise and control at all stages of the handling of
food, the conformity of food products (except non-packaged
drinking water that is supplied to inhabitants by water supply
systems) with the requirements laid down in laws and
regulations;
b) to approve and register the operation of food
establishments in accordance with the procedures laid down in
laws and regulations, and also to cancel their approval and
registration;
c) at all stages of the handling of food, to supervise and
control the operation of food establishments and the conformity
of the processes of handling of food with the requirements laid
down in laws and regulations;
d) at all stages of the handling of food, to perform risk
factor research and analysis;
2) in border control of goods - to supervise and control food
and also the materials and articles intended for coming into
contact with food at border control points, in free zones, and
customs warehouses in accordance with the procedures laid down in
the laws and regulations in the field of the handling of
food;
3) [1 December 2009];
4) in organic farming:
a) to recognise, monitor, and control authorities that inspect
the activities of persons involved in organic farming, and the
production manufactured by such persons;
b) to establish and maintain a list of the persons involved in
organic farming;
c) [27 April 2017];
d) to confirm an extract from the certificate of the
inspection in case of splitting of the consignment of imported
products;
5) upon request of the competent State authority or upon
request of a food establishment that exports food or animal feed,
confirm the conformity in its fields of competence;
6) in the food product State interventions:
a) to control the conformity of the food products purchased by
the intervention of the State with the mandatory quality and
safety requirements,
b) to perform supervision of intervention warehouses in
conformity with the requirements of laws and regulations;
7) within the scope of its competence to ensure cooperation
with international organisations, and also the operation of
international food control systems. For the purpose of risk
factor analysis and risk reduction to ascertain food producers
and distributors who do not conform to the mandatory safety
requirements;
8) to supervise and control the protection of geographical
indications and names of the place of origin, and also of
traditional specialties;
9) to perform veterinary supervision and control in accordance
with laws and regulations;
10) to determine provisional measures for risk management in
order to reduce threat until the scientific evaluation of risk
and development of risk management measures if a possible threat
to human or animal health has been established and risk analysis
has not been performed;
101) to assess the conformity of food supplements
and food products belonging to the specific groups referred to in
Regulation No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the
Council with the applicable requirements;
11) to perform other functions laid down in laws and
regulations;
12) by engaging in the European Union rapid alert system, to
perform investigation of risk factors and to achieve risk
reduction, by preventing the distribution in Latvia of food that
does not conform to the mandatory safety requirements and poses
threat to human health or life;
13) to supervise and control the conformity with the
requirements in the field of handling of food laid down in the
legal acts of the European Union, and also to provide the
necessary information to the European Union institutions;
14) to create, update, and maintain registers and data bases
of objects and products under supervision;
141) [20 May 2010];
15) [12 November 2009];
16) in the field of supervision of the food quality
schemes:
a) to monitor and control the activities of the persons who
participate in the national food quality scheme;
b) to create, maintain, and update the list of operators,
suppliers of raw materials involved in the national food quality
scheme and products of the national food quality scheme;
17) to recognise and monitor the laboratories that carry out
laboratory tests of raw milk quality;
18) to monitor and control the production, processing, and
distribution process of the materials and articles that are
intended to come into contact with food;
19) [23 October 2014];
20) to supervise and control the fulfilment of such contracts
for the supply of food products and for catering services which
have been entered into in relation to the green public
procurement;
21) to supervise and control the operation of a market manager
in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and
regulations;
22) to determine and supervise the laboratories of food
establishments in which, upon the implementation of the
supervision and control of the handling of food, the presence of
Trichinella in meat is checked and which conform to the
requirements laid down in Article 40(1)(a) of Regulation No
2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council on
official controls;
23) to perform the functions of the structure specified in
Article 109(2) of Regulation No 2017/625 of the European
Parliament and of the Council on official controls in relation to
the preparation and submission of the multi-annual national
control plans to the European Commission;
24) to perform the functions of the liaison body specified in
Article 103 of Regulation No 2017/625 of the European Parliament
and of the Council.
(3) The Food and Veterinary Service shall perform State
supervision and control of the handling of food according to the
annual State supervision and control programmes, taking into
account the appropriations allocated by the Law on the State
Budget for the current year.
(4) The Cabinet shall determine the requirements and the
procedures for border control for such food to be imported from
the third countries and materials and articles intended for
coming into contact with food to which official border control is
not applied in accordance with that specified in Article 44 of
Regulation No 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the
Council.
(5) [21 November 2019]
(6) The requirements for reference laboratories and the
procedures for authorising reference laboratories, and also the
reference fields in the handling of food shall be determined by
the Cabinet.
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005; 19 December 2006; 24 January
2008; 12 November 2009; 1 December 2009; 20 May 2010; 28 October
2010; 13 September 2012; 23 October 2014; 27 April 2007; 25
October 2018; 21 November 2019]
Section 21.1 (1) The Food and Veterinary
Service includes the central administration and territorial
units.
(2) The Cabinet shall approve the by-laws of the Food and
Veterinary Service.
(3) The work of the Food and Veterinary Service shall be
managed by the Director General of the Service who shall
concurrently be the State chief food and veterinary
inspector.
(4) The State chief food and veterinary inspector shall
authorise State senior inspectors and State inspectors of the
Food and Veterinary Service to perform State supervision and
control in the relevant field.
(5) A territorial unit of the Food and Veterinary Service
shall perform the functions of State supervision and control in a
specified part of the State territory.
(6) [12 June 2009]
(7) [12 June 2009]
(8) The financial resources of the Food and Veterinary Service
shall consist of a grant from the State basic budget from general
revenue, of revenue from paid services in accordance with the
procedures stipulated by the Cabinet, of foreign financial
assistance in the amount specified in the Law on the State Budget
for the current year, and of donations and gifts received.
(9) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures for calculating
the fee and paying for the State supervision and control
activities implemented by the Food and Veterinary Service
specified in this Law and in Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the
European Parliament and of the Council on official controls.
(10) [17 November 2005]
[13 December 2001; 6 November 2003; 21 October 2004; 17
November 2005; 15 December 2005; 12 June 2009; 1 December 2009;
28 October 2010; 21 November 2019]
Section 21.2 (1) The obligations of the
official laboratory specified in Article 38 of Regulation (EU)
2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council on
official controls shall be performed by the Institute of Food
Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR".
(2) In the cases specified in laws and regulations persons
shall cover the expenditures for the laboratory tests carried out
by the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment
"BIOR".
(3) The price list for the activities carried out by the
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment "BIOR"
within the framework of State administration tasks shall be
approved by the Cabinet.
(4) The Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and
Environment "BIOR" shall:
1) carry out the function of the national contact point of the
European Food Safety Authority in accordance with Regulation No
178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
2) assess the cooperation institutions in Latvia referred to
in Article 36 of Regulation No 178/2002 of the European
Parliament and of the Council and coordinate their cooperation
with the European Food Safety Authority;
3) collect and analyse data and information to assess the risk
factors that have direct or indirect influence on food and
nutrition safety, and also in relation to human nutrition, animal
health and welfare, and plant health;
4) carry out scientific assessment of risk in its fields of
competence;
5) in the cases specified in the directly applicable legal
acts of the European Union in the field of handling of food,
assess the applications received from establishments regarding
new raw materials and production processes and send them to the
European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority;
6) perform the tasks assigned to the competent authority in
relation to cooperation with the European Commission and the
European Food Safety Authority in accordance with the
requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on
nutrition and health claims made on foods;
7) upon request of a food establishment, ensure the
methodological management of the self-monitoring laboratory of
the food establishment;
8) perform the functions of a reference laboratory in the
field of the handling of food.
[1 December 2009; 20 May 2010; 23 October 2014; 27 April
2017; 21 November 2019]
Section 22. (1) [13 December 2001]
(2) Upon carrying out scheduled or extraordinary control,
officials of the Food and Veterinary Service, presenting their
service identification, have the right within the scope of their
competence:
1) without prior warning, to visit any food establishment and
an establishment producing, processing, and distributing
materials and articles intended to come into contact with food,
to request documents and information, to acquaint themselves with
materials, to take copies of documents and extracts from
documents, and also to take measures necessary in order to ensure
State supervision and control of the handling of food;
2) in accordance with laws and regulations to take the samples
of the objects referred to in Section 23, Clauses 2 and 4 of this
Law and send them for testing to an accordingly accredited or
authorised laboratory. If non-conformity with the requirements
laid down in laws and regulations has been established, the food
establishment shall cover all the expenditures related to the
testing;
3) to supervise and control the periodicity and scope of
mandatory health examinations and the compliance with hygiene
requirements by the personnel, the readings of values recorded by
measuring instruments in a food establishment, and also the
objects referred to in Section 23 of this Law;
31) to carry out negotiations with the head of a
food establishment or natural persons employed in the food
establishment regarding issues that concern the stage of the
handling of food in which the respective person is engaged;
32) to take the readings of measuring instruments
in a food establishment, and also make measurements using the
control equipment;
4) in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the
handling of food to suspend or restrict the handling of food,
recognise food as unfit for distribution and to prohibit the
handling thereof in case of justified suspicion of harmfulness of
food to human health, life, or the environment or of misleading
of the consumers. The decision shall have immediate effect;
5) if necessary, to prepare materials for law enforcement
authorities for subjecting guilty persons to criminal
liability;
6) if necessary, to ensure the performance of their tasks, by
inviting employees of law enforcement authorities;
7) if any of the food products in a batch does not conform to
the requirements laid down in laws and regulations, the whole
batch, consignment or supply of the same type or class of food
shall be declared as not conforming with the requirements, except
for the case when a full analysis of food attests the conformity
of the remaining food with the requirements;
8) to suspend distribution of materials and articles intended
to come into contact with food, operation of establishments
producing, processing, and distributing them, to recognise the
materials and articles intended to come into contact with food as
unfit for distribution and to remove them from the circulation in
case of justified suspicion or detection of harmfulness of these
materials and articles to human health, life, or the environment.
The decision shall have immediate effect;
9) to impose an obligation to eliminate the non-conformities
within a specified time period if the requirements of the laws
and regulations governing the handling of food (including the
materials and articles intended for coming into contact with
food) have been violated.
(21) An official of the Food and Veterinary Service
in relation to the State monitoring and control has the right to
make a control purchase. If a food product does not conform to
the requirements of the laws and regulations governing the
handling of food, the expenditures related to conducting the
control purchase shall be covered by the food establishment.
(3) [1 July 2020 / See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional
Provisions]
(4) If mass spread of diseases or poisoning caused by food has
occurred or is possible, the State chief food and veterinary
inspector shall determine restrictions for the handling of food.
The restrictions for the handling of food determined by the
inspector shall be enforced immediately.
(5) If there is a threat to human life or health, the State
chief food and veterinary inspector is entitled to determine
restrictions or prohibitions on the bringing in and distribution
of food in Latvia. The restrictions determined by the inspector
shall be enforced immediately.
(6) Officials of the Food and Veterinary Service are entitled
to send the freights with goods and products for in-depth control
to accordingly equipped control points, if the freight in the
vehicle is positioned so that it is not possible to access all
the types of goods in the vehicle and it is not possible to carry
out an in-depth control of the freight at the border control
point or it is not possible to provide the appropriate conditions
for the particular freight during the control process. The owner
of the freight or his authorised representative shall cover all
the expenditures (including for the unloading and loading of the
freight) related to this control, if non-conformity of the
freight with the requirements laid down in the laws and
regulations is established during control. The official of the
Food and Veterinary Service Officer shall provide the opinion on
the results of the in-depth control within 24 hours from the
moment of detaining the freight.
(7) Contesting and appeal of a decision and order of the
officials of the Food and Veterinary Service on elimination of
non-conformities with the requirements of the laws and
regulations governing the field of the handling of food and
materials and articles intended for coming into contact with food
and performing of corrective activities shall not suspend its
execution. The decision and order shall be executed without
delay.
(8) If the operator needs to eliminate the non-conformities
established in the control, the Food and Veterinary Service
shall, not later than within 90 days, decide on the operator's
joining the control system of the food quality schemes.
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005; 12 June 2009; 12 November 2009;
28 October 2010; 13 September 2012; 23 October 2014; 27 April
2017; 21 November 2019; 7 May 2020 / See Paragraph 31 of
the Transitional Provisions]
Section 23. The following shall be subject to State
supervision and control:
1) the premises, territory of food establishments, condition
and use of vehicles, machinery, and equipment involved in the
handling of food;
2) raw materials, ingredients, technological facilities,
drinking water, and other products which are used for the
preparation and manufacturing of food products; semi-finished
products, and finished products, and also materials and articles
that are intended to come into contact with food;
3) food product processing methods;
4) cleaning and disinfection agents;
5) cleaning and disinfection processes;
6) food safety and quality assurance systems of food
establishments;
7) labelling of food products, and advertising related to
labelling;
8) production, processing, and distribution processes of
materials and articles intended to come into contact with
food.
[21 October 2004; 28 October 2010; 24 November 2010 /
Amendments to Clause 2 and Clause 8 shall come into force on 1
January 2012. See Paragraph 18 of Transitional
Provisions]
Section 24. (1) Authorities and officials involved in
the performance of the functions of State supervision and control
shall ensure that the information acquired during the supervision
and control process is not disclosed, except for information
concerning potential harm to human health, life, or the
environment, and in cases when misleading information on the
origin, composition of food products has been provided and
improper indications concerning the wholesomeness have been
used.
(2) Authorities and officials involved in State supervision
and control shall be liable for their actions and decisions in
accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and other
regulations.
(3) Officials of the Food and Veterinary Service may not in
person or through a third party participate in the economic
activities of the food establishments subject to their
control.
(4) An official of a higher rank may revoke orders and
decisions of an official of the Food and Veterinary Service.
Orders and decisions of the State chief food and veterinary
inspector may be appealed to the court.
(5) [21 November 2019]
[13 December 2001; 17 November 2005; 23 October 2014; 21
November 2019]
Section 25. In cases of epidemics, epizootics, and mass
toxicoses, and also in cases of a threat of an outbreak of such,
authorities which are supervised or subject to the control of the
Ministry of Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture have the
exclusive right of State supervision and control of the handling
of food in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.
[13 December 2001; 17 November 2005]
Section 26. [7 May 2020 / See Paragraph 31 of the
Transitional Provisions]
Chapter
VI
Suspension and Renewal of the Operation of Food
establishments
[6 December 2007]
Section 27. (1) The official of the Food and Veterinary
Service has the right to take the decision to suspend the
operation of a food establishment (including the operation of its
units or individual installations) if a non-conformity with the
requirements laid down in the laws and regulations in the field
of the handling of food (including materials and articles
intended for coming into contact with food) has been
detected.
(2) [27 April 2017]
(3) [27 April 2017]
(4) Suspension of the operation of the food establishment
shall be ensured by the food establishment itself.
(5) The operation of a food establishment shall be suspended
without delay if:
1) dangerous substances or disease agents may get into
products or threats to human and animal health or life may arise
due to a non-conformity with the requirements laid down in the
laws and regulations in the field of the handling of food
(including materials and articles intended for coming into
contact with food);
2) it has not been recognised or has not been registered in
accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and
regulations governing the field of the handling of food.
(6) The approval and approval number or registration and
registration number of a food establishment may be cancelled,
if:
1) repeat non-conformities with the requirements of the laws
and regulations have been detected in the food establishment;
2) the food establishment is unable to provide further
handling of food in accordance with the requirements of the laws
and regulations governing the handling of food.
(7) The decision to suspend the operation of a food
establishment, to cancel the recognition and recognition number
or registration and registration number of the establishment may
be contested and appealed in accordance with the procedures laid
down in the Administrative Procedure Law. Contesting and appeal
of the decisions of the officials of the Food and Veterinary
Service referred to in this Section shall not suspend their
operation.
[12 June 2009; 12 November 2009; 20 May 2010; 27 April
2017]
Section 28. (1) The food establishment shall notify the
relevant territorial unit of the Food and Veterinary Service in
writing of the fact that the non-conformities with the
requirements of the laws and regulations governing the handling
of food indicated in the decision to suspend the operation of the
food establishment have been eliminated. The official of the Food
and Veterinary Service Officer shall, within five working days
after receipt of the notification, examine whether the
non-conformities have been eliminated.
(2) After all the non-conformities with the requirements of
the laws and regulations governing the handling of food referred
to in the decision have been eliminated, the official of the Food
and Veterinary Service Officer shall, not later than within three
working days after inspection, allow in writing the renewal of
the operation of the food establishment, if the suspension is not
related to cancellation of the approval and approval number or
registration and the registration number.
[20 May 2010; 27 April 2017]
Chapter
VII
Administrative Offences in the Field of the Handling of Food and
Competence in the Administrative Offence Proceedings
[7 May 2020 / Chapter
shall come into force on 1 July 2020. See Paragraph 31 of
the Transitional Provisions]
Section 29. For the violation of the safety and quality
requirements laid down in the laws and regulations governing the
handling of food or materials and articles intended for coming
into contact with food, a warning or a fine of up to one hundred
units of fine shall be imposed on a natural person, but a fine
from four to three hundred units of fine - on a legal person.
[7 May 2020 / This Section shall come into force on
1 July 2020. See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Section 30. For the violation of the safety and quality
requirements laid down in the import, export, and transit of food
or materials and articles intended for coming into contact with
food, a fine from five to one hundred and ten units of fine shall
be imposed on a natural person, but a fine from ten to three
hundred and fifty units of fine - on a legal person.
[7 May 2020 / This Section shall come into force on
1 July 2020. See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Section 31. For the distribution of food not conforming
to the pollution requirements or for unauthorised distribution of
food for which the durability date has expired, a fine from ten
to one hundred and forty units of fine shall be imposed on a
natural person, but a fine from fourteen to six hundred units of
fine - on a legal person.
[7 May 2020 / This Section shall come into force on
1 July 2020. See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Section 32. For the failure to provide information to
the Food and Veterinary Service regarding non-conforming results
of the indicators of food safety detected in self-monitoring and
the measures implemented for the elimination of non-conformities,
a fine from twenty to one hundred and forty units of fine shall
be imposed on a natural person, but a fine from forty to six
hundred units of fine - on a legal person.
[7 May 2020 / This Section shall come into force on
1 July 2020. See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Section 33. For the provision of false information
regarding the composition of food, its country or place of
origin, or for falsification of food, or for the violation of the
prohibition of misleading practice specified in the laws and
regulations governing the handling of food, a fine from seventy
to one hundred and forty units of fine shall be imposed on a
natural person, but a fine from one hundred and forty to eight
hundred units of fine - on a legal person.
[7 May 2020 / This Section shall come into force on
1 July 2020. See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Section 34. For the involvement in the handling of food
without the recognition or registration of a food establishment
or a production, processing, and distribution establishment of
materials and articles intended for coming into contact with food
and specified in laws and regulations or without sending a
notification regarding performance of temporary services, or for
the failure to notify of changes in the operation of the
establishment, a fine from fourteen to one hundred and fifty
units of fine shall be imposed on a natural person, but a fine
from eighty to eight hundred units of fine - on a legal
person.
[7 May 2020 / This Section shall come into force on
1 July 2020. See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Section 35. The administrative offence proceedings for
the offences referred to in Sections 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34
of this Law shall be conducted by the Food and Veterinary
Service.
[7 May 2020 / This Section shall come into force on
1 July 2020. See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional
Provisions]
Transitional
provisions
1. The approval of food establishments by an authorised
competent authority and registration in a special food
establishment register shall be commenced after adoption by the
Cabinet of regulations regarding the procedures for the approval
and registration of food establishments within the time period
provided for in such regulations.
2. With the coming into force of this Law, the law On the
Procedures and Control of the Handling of Food (Latvijas
Republikas Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta Ziņotājs, 1995, No.
14; 1997, No. 3) is repealed.
3. The Cabinet shall:
1) by 31 December 2003, issue regulations which govern the
requirements for the bringing in of food into the State, bringing
out from the State and for transit traffic; the procedures for
control at State border control points, in free zones, free
warehouses, and customs warehouses, and the list of goods subject
to control;
2) by 31 December 2003, issue regulations which govern the
requirements for the facilities at the control points, in which
sanitary border control of food is performed, and procedures for
the approval of the control points;
3) by 31 December 2003, issue regulations which govern the
procedures by which payments for the activities of supervision
and control specified in this Law shall be made, and the types of
paid services provided by the Food and Veterinary Service;
4) [6 November 2003];
5) by 1 July 2005, issue regulations which govern the
requirements for reference laboratories and the procedures for
authorising reference laboratories;
6) [6 November 2003];
7) [6 November 2003];
8) [17 November 2005];
9) [21 October 2004];
10) [6 November 2003];
11) by 1 May 2004, issue regulations which govern the work of
the rapid alert system;
12) by 1 January 2005, issue regulations which govern
professional qualification of the persons involved in the
handling of food and determine the procedures for the acquisition
of professional qualification and monitoring thereof;
13) by 1 March 2004, issue regulations which govern the
procedures for distributing iodised salt, and determine the cases
in which this salt is used in food production;
14) by 31 December 2006, issue regulations which govern the
hygiene requirements for primary production and direct supply of
primary production to the final consumer in small amount, and
also the volume of the abovementioned supply;
15) [12 November 2009];
16) by 1 July 2007, issue the regulations referred to in
Section 4, Paragraph twelve and Section 10, Paragraphs four and
five of this Law;
17) [20 May 2010];
18) by 1 July 2008, issue the regulations referred to in
Section 4, Paragraphs thirteen and fourteen of this Law.
[13 December 2001; 12 September 2002; 6 November 2003; 21
October 2004; 17 November 2005; 19 December 2006; 6 December
2007; 24 January 2008; 12 November 2009; 20 May 2010]
4. Until issuance of the relevant Cabinet regulations, but no
longer than until 31 March 2002, Cabinet Regulation No. 106 of 6
March 2001, Procedures for Recognition and Registration of Food
establishments, shall be in force, insofar as it is not in
contradiction with this Law.
[13 December 2001]
5. [6 November 2003]
6. Section 21, Paragraph two, Clause 2 and Section
21.1, Paragraph five of this Law in relation to State
supervision and control in free warehouses shall come into force
on 1 July 2002.
[13 December 2001]
7. Approval that was performed for food establishments in
accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 106 of 6 March 2001,
Procedures for the Recognition and Registration of Food
establishments, shall be deemed to be in effect.
[12 September 2002]
8. Food establishments (except for those to which an approval
number was granted in accordance with Cabinet Regulation No. 106
of 6 March 2001, Procedures for the Recognition and Registration
of Food establishments) which have become engaged in the handling
of food until the day of the coming into force of the Cabinet
regulation referred to in Section 5, Paragraph four of this Law,
are prohibited from participating in the handling of food if they
have not applied to the Food and Veterinary Service by 1 January
2003. If the food establishments the type of operation of which
is referred to in Section 5, Paragraph one of this Law are under
State supervision and control and conform to the requirements of
laws and regulations, the Food and Veterinary Service shall grant
them an approval number. Food establishments the type of
operation of which is not referred to in Section 5, Paragraph one
of this Law shall be registered by the Food and Veterinary
Service, granting them an approval number.
[12 September 2002]
9. Food establishments which wish to engage in the handling of
food until the day of coming into force of the Cabinet regulation
referred to in Section 5, Paragraph four of this Law may commence
operation only after having received a permit from the Food and
Veterinary Service.
[12 September 2002]
10. Food establishments which have not engaged in the handling
of food until the day of coming into force of the Cabinet
regulation referred to in Section 5, Paragraph four of this Law
may commence operation only after receiving an approval or
registration number in accordance with the procedures stipulated
by the Cabinet.
[12 September 2002]
11. Amendments adopted on 17 November 2005 to Section 4,
Paragraph 10.1, Section 19, Paragraph one, Section 20,
Section 21.1, Paragraph one, and also Section 21,
Paragraph two, Clauses 10.1, 14, and 15 of this Law
shall come into force on 1 January 2006.
[15 December 2005]
12. Warnings issued and decisions taken by the officials of
the Food and Veterinary Service on suspension or restriction of
the operation of food establishments which have been issued or
adopted on the basis of the law On the Procedures for the
Suspension of the Operations of Companies, Institutions, and
Organisations shall be valid also after 1 January 2008.
[6 December 2007]
13. Amendment to Section 5 of this Law with regard to deletion
of Paragraph seven, and also Sections 27 and 28 shall come into
force on 1 January 2008.
[6 December 2007]
14. Section 4, Paragraphs fifteen and sixteen, amendments to
Section 20, Paragraph two of this Law shall come into force on 1
January 2011.
[12 November 2009; 20 May 2010]
15. Until entry into force of the Cabinet Regulation referred
to in Section 8, Paragraph ten of this Law, but no longer than
until 1 December 2010, Cabinet Regulation No. 665 of 2 October
2007, Hygiene Requirements for the Handling of Eggs in Small
Amounts, shall be in force, insofar as it is not in contradiction
with this Law.
[20 May 2010]
16. The Cabinet shall, by 1 January 2012, issue the
regulations referred to in Section 19, Paragraph 3.1
of this Law.
[28 October 2018]
17. Section 20, Paragraph three and amendments to Section
21.1, Paragraph one of this Law with regard to the
composition of the Food and Veterinary Service shall come into
force on 1 January 2011.
[28 October 2018]
18. Section 1, Clause 22, Section 21, Paragraph two, Clause
18, Section 22, Paragraph two, Clause 8, Section 23, Clause 8,
amendments to Section 10, Paragraph one of this Law in relation
to the Cabinet regulation regarding materials and articles
intended to come into contact with food, Section 22, Paragraph
two, Clause 1 in relation to the competence of the Food and
Veterinary Service in carrying out control of the materials and
articles intended to come into contact with food for production,
processing, and distribution in the establishment, and to Section
23, Clause 2 of this Law in relation to the replacement of the
words "articles that come into contact" with words "article that
are intended for contact" shall come into force on 1 January
2012.
[28 October 2010]
19. The Cabinet shall, by 1 March 2011 in accordance with
Section 4, Paragraph three of this Law, issue regulations that
provide for special requirements for dietary food. Until entry
into force of the Cabinet regulation, but no longer than until 1
March 2011, Cabinet Regulation No. 323 of 10 May 2005,
Regulations Regarding General Requirements for Harmlessness,
Quality and Labelling of Dietary Food, as well as Conformity
Assessment of Dietary Food and Procedures for Coverage Thereof,
shall be applied, insofar as it is not in contradiction with this
Law.
[28 October 2010]
20. Amendments in relation to repeal of Section 4, Paragraph
sixteen of this Law shall come into force concurrently with the
relevant amendments to the law On Taxes and Fees.
[13 September 2012]
21. The Cabinet shall, by 30 November 2015, issue the
regulations referred to in Section 4, Paragraphs 10.1,
thirteen, and seventeen, Section 8, Paragraph five, Section 10,
Paragraph three, and Section 13, Paragraph three, Clause 3 of
this Law.
[23 October 2014]
22. Until the day of coming into force of the Cabinet
regulations referred to in Section 4, Paragraphs 10.1
and thirteen, Section 8, Paragraph five, and Section 13 Paragraph
three, Clause 3 of this Law, but no later than until 30 November
2015, the following Cabinet regulations shall be applied insofar
as they are not in contradiction with this Law:
1) Cabinet Regulation No. 118 of 13 March 2001, Mandatory
Harmlessness Requirements for the Composition of Food Intended
for Infants and Young Children and the Requirements for the
Labelling and Distribution Thereof;
2) Cabinet Regulation No. 144 of 27 March 2001, Mandatory
Harmlessness Requirements for Dietary Food with Reduced Energy
Value and for the Labelling Thereof;
3) Cabinet Regulation No. 155 of 3 April 2001, Mandatory
Harmlessness Requirements for Food for Special Dietary Purposes
and Requirements for Labelling;
4) Cabinet Regulation No. 377 of 8 July 2003, Requirements for
Quality, Classification and Labelling of Various Types of
Sugars;
5) Cabinet Regulation No. 378 of 8 July 2003, Requirements for
Quality, Classification and Labelling of Fruit Jam, Jelly,
Marmalade, Jam and Sweetened Chestnut Purée;
6) Cabinet Regulation No. 522 of 16 September 2003,
Requirements for Quality, Classification and Labelling of
Honey;
7) Cabinet Regulation No. 661 of 25 November 2003,
Requirements for Quality, Classification and Labelling of Cocoa
and Chocolate Products;
8) Cabinet Regulation No. 323 of 20 April 2004, Mandatory
Harmlessness Requirements for Food Processed with Ionising
Radiation and Additional Requirements for the Labelling
Thereof;
9) Cabinet Regulation No. 334 of 20 April 2004, Regulations
Regarding Contamination of Foodstuffs and Requirements for
Packaging and Labelling of Foodstuffs Containing Acid Chemical
Substances;
10) Cabinet Regulation No. 140 of 22 February 2005,
Requirements for Quality, Classification and Labelling of Coffee
and Chicory Extract;
11) Cabinet Regulation No. 381 of 31 May 2005, Regulations
Regarding Requirements for Quality, Classification and Labelling
of Dehydrated Dairy Products and the Procedures for the
Conformity Assessment of the Abovementioned Products with such
Requirements;
12) Cabinet Regulation No. 409 of 14 June 2005, Requirements
for Professional Qualification of Persons Employed in the
Handling of Food;
13) Cabinet Regulation No. 435 of 21 June 2005, Regulations
Regarding Requirements for Quality, Classification and Labelling
of Edible Caseins and Caseinates and the Procedures for the
Conformity Assessment;
14) Cabinet Regulation No. 488 of 5 July 2005, Mandatory
Harmlessness, Quality, Hygiene and Labelling Requirements for
Edible Salt and for Distribution and Use Thereof in Food
Production;
15) Cabinet Regulation No. 725 of 20 September 2005,
Regulations Regarding Food Supplements;
16) Cabinet Regulation No. 646 of 8 August 2006, Regulations
Regarding Names of Species to be Used in the Labelling of Fishery
Products;
17) Cabinet Regulation No. 893 of 31 October 2006, Mandatory
Harmlessness and Labelling Requirements for Apple and Pear
Cider;
18) Cabinet Regulation No. 257 of 24 March 2009, Regulations
Regarding the Labelling of Meat that Has Been Obtained from
Cattle the Age of Which Does Not Exceed 12 Months;
19) Cabinet Regulation No. 613 of 25 June 2009, Requirements
for Quality, Classification and Labelling of Fresh Fruit and
Vegetables and the Procedures for the Conformity Assessment with
the Standards for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables;
20) Cabinet Regulation No. 1171 of 13 October 2009,
Regulations Regarding the Processing Quality, Classification and
Marking of Animal Carcasses, as well as the Procedures for the
Conformity Assessment of Animal Carcasses with the Requirements
of Processing Quality and Classification, and Gathering and
Aggregation of Information Regarding the Prices of Animal
Carcasses;
21) Cabinet Regulation No. 127 of 9 February 2010, Regulations
Regarding the Labelling of Mutton;
22) Regulation No. 1053 of 16 November 2010, Regulations
Regarding Specific Requirements for Dietary Food, the Procedures
for Registration of the Dietary Food and the State Fee for
Registration of Dietary Food;
23) Regulation No. 1130 of 21 December 2010, Regulations
Regarding Mandatory Requirements for Harmlessness and Labelling
of Natural Mineral Water and Spring Water, and the Procedures for
the Issuance of Permits for Distribution of Natural Mineral Water
and for Covering the Issue Costs.
[23 October 2014]
23. The Cabinet shall, by 30 November 2014, issue the
regulations referred to in Section 13, Paragraph three, Clauses 1
and 2 of this Law.
[23 October 2014]
24. Until the day of coming into force of the regulations
referred to in Section 13, Paragraph three, Clause 1 of this Law
but no later than until 30 November 2014 Cabinet Regulation No.
964 of 23 November 2004, Regulations Regarding the Labelling of
Food Products, shall be applied, insofar as it is not in
contradiction with this Law.
[23 October 2014]
25. The new wording of Section 1, Clause 23 of this Law and
amendment regarding the deletion of Section 20, Paragraph three
shall come into force on 1 January 2018.
[27 April 2017]
26. Amendment to this Law regarding the deletion of Section 4,
Paragraph three shall come into force on 1 January 2023.
[25 October 2018 / The abovementioned amendment
shall be included in the wording of the Law as of 1 January
2023]
26.1 Amendment to Section 20, Paragraph two of this
Law and the new wording of Section 21, Paragraph two, Clause
10.1 shall come into force on 1 January 2019.
[25 October 2018]
26.2 The first sentence of Section 20, Paragraph
two of this Law shall be in force in the following wording until
31 December 2018:
"A State fee shall be paid for the registration of food
supplements, dietary food, and infant formulas and for the
issuance of a permit for the distribution of natural mineral
water in the market."
[25 October 2018]
26.3 Section 21, Paragraph two, Clause
10.1 of this Law shall be in force in the following
wording until 31 December 2018:
"101) to assess the conformity of dietary food and
food supplements with the requirements laid down in laws and
regulations;"
[25 October 2018]
27. The Cabinet shall, by 31 December 2018, issue the
regulations referred to in Section 4, Paragraph eighteen of this
Law.
[27 April 2017]
28. Until the day of coming into force of the Cabinet
regulations referred to in Section 4, Paragraph 10.1,
Clause 3 of this Law, but not later than until 31 December 2018,
Cabinet Regulation No. 530 of 15 September 2015, Regulations
Regarding the Special Requirements for Dietary Food and
Additional Labelling Thereof and the Procedures for the
Registration, Handling of Dietary Food and Payment of the State
Fee, shall be applicable insofar as it is not in contradiction
with this Law.
[27 April 2017; 25 October 2018]
29. Section 11.2 of this Law in relation to the
cases stipulated by the Cabinet when distribution of food is
permitted after expiry of the minimum durability date shall come
into force on 1 July 2019. The Cabinet shall, by 30 June 2019,
issue the regulations referred to in Section 11.2,
Paragraph two of this Law.
[25 October 2018]
30. The Cabinet shall, by 31 December 2020, issue the
regulations referred to in Section 4, Paragraph eighteen of this
Law.
[21 November 2019]
31. Amendments to this Law regarding the deletion of Section
22, Paragraph three and Section 26, and also Chapter VII of this
Law shall come into force concurrently with the Law on
Administrative Liability.
[7 May 2020]
Informative
Reference to European Union Directives
[17 November 2005]
The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 19 February
1998.
President G. Ulmanis
Rīga, 6 March 1998
1 The Parliament of the Republic of
Latvia
Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State
Language Centre)