Regulations Regarding Requirements for Quality, Classification and Additional Labelling of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables and the Procedures for the Conformity Assessment of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables with Marketing Standards

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

1. The Regulation prescribes quality and classification requirements for fresh fruit and vegetables (hereinafter - the product) and the procedures for the conformity assessment of such products with the marketing standards stipulated in Parts A and B of Annex I to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 543/2011 of 7 June 2011 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 in respect of the fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetables sectors (hereinafter - Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011) (hereinafter - the standard), and also requirements for additional labelling of products.

2. The Regulation shall not apply to the products imported from third countries, unless they are intended for commercial purposes and the quantity of the products of the same type exceeds 20 kilograms.

3. A product having undergone a trimming or cutting, and also "ready to eat" or "kitchen ready" product may be presented for retail sale if:

3.1. prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the hygiene of foodstuffs;

3.2. packaged in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding materials and articles intended for coming into contact with food;

3.3. labelled in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the provision of food information to consumers and labelling of food.

4. In accordance with the conditions of Article 4(3) of Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011, the specific standard shall not be applied to products presented for retail sale the labelling of which contains an indication of the intended processing manner (for example, "strawberries for jam") and which conform to the requirements of Part A of Annex I to Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011.

5. The Food and Veterinary Service (hereinafter - the Service):

5.1. is the coordinating authority and inspection body specified in Article 9 of Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011;

5.2. shall develop the risk analysis criteria for conformity checks in accordance with the requirements of Articles 11 and 17 of Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011;

5.3. shall issue the conformity certificate in accordance with the requirements of Article 14 of and Annex III to Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011;

5.4. shall inspect the conformity of the product in accordance with the methods of inspection indicated in Annex V to Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011;

5.5. shall grant the permit specified in Article 12 of Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011;

5.6. performs the functions specified in Article 18 of Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011. In the event of establishing any non-conformity of the product with the standard, the Service shall complete a notice on non-conformity of fruit and vegetables with the marketing standard (annex);

5.7. shall set up and maintain a database of the persons specified in Article 10 of Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011 (hereinafter - the trader).

6. In order to assess the conformity of the product to be exported to a third country with the standard, the trader shall send a submission to the territorial unit of the Service on conformity assessment of the product. The following information shall be indicated in the submission:

6.1. the name of the trader and the address of the place of control;

6.2. the product name and quantity;

6.3. the planned inspection date;

6.4. export destination.

7. In order to receive the assessment of the conformity of the product imported from third countries with the standard, the trader shall act in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the import of food from third countries which is not subject to veterinary control and the procedures for the control thereof at the State border control points, free zones, free warehouses, and customs warehouses.

8. The trader shall cover expenses related to the conformity assessment of the product in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the procedures for making a payment to the Food and Veterinary Service for the State supervision and control activities and paid services.

9. The trader shall cover all expenses related to the return, destruction, shipment for processing, or use of the product in animal feed.

10. 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 (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2009, No. 98), is repealed.

Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Annex
Cabinet Regulation No. 597
20 October 2015

Paziņojums par augļu un dārzeņu neatbilstību tirdzniecības standartam
Notification on non-conformity of the marketing standard

Nr. ___________

Pārtikas un veterinārais dienests, veicot kontroli, ir konstatējis, ka produkts (preču partija) neatbilst Komisijas 2011. gada 7. jūnija Īstenošanas regulas (ES) Nr. 543/2011, ar ko nosaka sīki izstrādātus noteikumus Padomes Regulas (EK) Nr. 1234/2007 piemērošanai attiecībā uz augļu un dārzeņu un pārstrādātu augļu un dārzeņu nozari, _____________________ tirdzniecības standarta prasībām.

Food and Veterinary Service has found that the following product (lot) did not meet the requirements of the _____________________ marketing standard of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EC) of No 543 7 June 2011 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 in respect of the fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetables sectors.

Note.

* Neatbilstības rādītāju kodi/code of defects:

01 bojājumi un defekti/blemishes and damages

02 slimības un puvumi/breakdown diseases and rots

03 fizioloģiskie defekti/physiological defects

04 izmērs/sizing

05 īpašas norādes par produkta formu marķējumā/shape labelling

06 netīrs produkts/cleanliness

07 krāsojums/colour

08 gatavības pakāpe/maturity

09 iepakojums/presentation

10 marķējums/labelling

11 neatbilstība minimālajiem kvalitātes rādītājiem/citi rādītāji/does not fulfil the minimum requirements/other requirements

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Translation © 2022 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)