Requirements for Food Products with Reduced Energy Value and for the Additional Labelling Thereof

Issued pursuant to
Section 4, Paragraph three and Section 13,
Paragraph three, Clause 3
of the Law on the Supervision
of the Handling of Food

1. The Regulation prescribes the requirements for food products intended for use in weight reduction diets with reduced energy value (hereinafter - the food products) and for the additional labelling thereof.

2. The food products have a special composition and they replace the whole total daily diet or a part thereof. The food products shall be divided into two categories:

2.1. the food products which replace the whole daily diet;

2.2. the food products which replace one or several daily meals.

3. The food products may be placed on the market if they conform to the requirements and the composition laid down in this Regulation (Annexes 1, 2, and 3), and also to the requirements laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 953/2009 of 13 October 2009 on substances that may be added for specific nutritional purposes in foods for particular nutritional uses.

4. Individual components of the food products referred to in Sub-paragraph 2.1 of this Regulation shall be packaged for sale in one packaging.

5. The food products shall be sold under the following name:

5.1. the food products referred to in Sub-paragraph 2.1 of this Regulation - "Total diet replacement for weight control";

5.2. the food products referred to in Sub-paragraph 2.2 of this Regulation - "Meal replacement for weight control".

6. The food products shall be labelled in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the requirements for the labelling of pre-packaged food and 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 (hereinafter - Regulation No 1169/2011). In addition the following information shall be indicated on the labelling:

6.1. the energy value of the product, expressed in kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal), and the content of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, expressed in numerical form, per specified quantity of the product ready for consumption;

6.2. the average quantity of vitamins and mineral substances referred to in Annex 2 to this Regulation, expressed in numerical form, for each mineral substance and each vitamin per specified quantity of the product ready for consumption;

6.3. for the food products referred to in Sub-paragraph 2.2 of this Regulation - the percentage of vitamins and mineral substances of the recommended daily dose of a normal diet in addition to the numerical quantity indicated in Part A of Annex XIII to Regulation No 1169/2011 in addition to that specified in Sub-paragraph 6.2 of this Regulation;

6.4. if necessary - instructions for the preparation of the product and a warning regarding the importance of correct preparation;

6.5. the possible laxative effect of the product if, when using the food product according to the manufacturer's instructions, the daily intake of polyols exceeds 20 g;

6.6. the necessity to maintain a fluid intake adequate to the daily dose;

6.7. for the food products referred to in Sub-paragraph 2.1 of this Regulation - a statement that the product provides the necessary amount of nutrients for the day and that the product may not be used for more than three weeks without medical supervision;

6.8. for the food products referred to in Sub-paragraph 2.2 of this Regulation - a statement that the product is to be used as part of a weight reducing diet and that other food products are a necessary part of such diet.

7. It is prohibited to use any reference as to the rate or quantity of weight loss which might be achieved by using these products on the labelling, in the presentation and advertising of the food products.

8. Cabinet Regulation No. 144 of 27 March 2001, Mandatory Harmlessness Requirements for Dietary Food with Reduced Energy Value and for the Labelling Thereof (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2001, No. 52; 2003, No. 28; 2006, No. 185; 2007, No. 161; 2010, No. 57), is repealed.

9. The food products which are placed on the market and labelled in accordance with the requirements of Cabinet Regulation No. 144 of 27 March 2001, Mandatory Harmlessness Requirements for Dietary Food with Reduced Energy Value and for the Labelling Thereof, may be sold after coming into force of this Regulation until stocks of such food products are exhausted.

Informative Reference to European Union Directives

The Regulation contains legal norms arising from:

1) Commission Directive 96/8/EC of 26 February 1996 on foods intended for use in energy-restricted diets for weight reduction;

2) Commission Directive 2007/29/EC of 30 May 2007 amending Directive 96/8/EC as regards labelling, advertising or presenting foods intended for use in energy-restricted diets for weight reduction.

Acting for the Prime Minister,
the Minister for Transport Anrijs Matīss

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Annex 1
Cabinet Regulation No. 422
28 July 2015

Composition of Food Products with Reduced Energy Value

Notes.
¹ The provision regarding proteins shall refer to the proteins the chemical index (the lowest ratio between the quantity of each essential amino acid of the test protein and the quantity of each corresponding amino acid of the reference protein) of which is equal to the chemical index of the reference protein. If the chemical index of the protein is less than 100 % of the chemical index of the reference protein, the minimum protein content in the product shall be correspondingly increased; however, the chemical index of the protein may not be less than 80 % of the chemical index of the reference protein.
² The addition of amino acids is permitted solely for the purpose of improving the nutritional value of the proteins, and only in the proportions necessary for that purpose.
³ The level of potassium per meal shall be at least 500 mg for food products referred to in Sub-paragraph 2.2 of this Regulation.

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Annex 2
Cabinet Regulation No. 422
28 July 2015

Amount of Vitamins and Mineral Substances in Food Products with Reduced Energy Value

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Annex 3
Cabinet Regulation No. 422
28 July 2015

Amino Acid Content of the Reference Protein

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Translation © 2022 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)