Requirements for Additional Labelling of Dairy Products and Products Containing Dairy Products

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 labelling of dairy products, composite dairy products, and also of food products containing dairy products and composite dairy products (hereinafter - the products).

2. The indication "Reduced lactose amount" shall be used in the product labelling if the lactose content does not exceed one gram per 100 grams or 100 millilitres of the finished product.

3. The indication "Lactose-free" or "Does not contain lactose" shall be used in the product labelling if the lactose content does not exceed 10 milligrams per 100 grams or 100 millilitres of the finished product.

4. The products shall be tested in a laboratory accredited by the national accreditation body in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the assessment, accreditation, and supervision of conformity assessment bodies, or by the national accreditation body of another Member State of the European Union, Turkey or a country of the European Economic Area.

5. The products which do not conform to the requirements of this Regulation but which are lawfully marketed in another European Union Member State or Turkey or the origin of which is and which are lawfully marketed in any of the Member States of the European Free Trade Association which is a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area may be distributed on the Latvian market in compliance with the provisions referred to in the directly applicable legal acts of the European Union regarding the mutual recognition of goods.

6. The Regulation shall come into force on 1 May 2022.

7. The products which have been placed on the market or labelled before the day of coming into force of this Regulation and which do not conform to the requirements of this Regulation may be marketed until the stocks of the products are exhausted but not longer than until 1 August 2023.

Informative Reference to European Union Directive

Legal norms are harmonised with the European Commission and the European Union Member States in accordance with Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 September 2015 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical regulations and of rules on Information Society services.

Prime Minister A. K. Kariņš

Minister for Agriculture K. Gerhards

Translation © 2023 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)