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 legal acts;

4) safe food - food which does not cause harm to human health, life, or the environment in normal or foreseeable conditions of its use;

5) [17 November 2005];

6) handling of food - all operations with food from its acquisition to consumption (primary production, acquisition, pre-treatment, treatment, processing, production, 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, production, packaging, storage, or transportation, and then the respective substance 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 produced 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 a 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 Transitional Provisions]

Chapter II
Purpose and Scope of this Law

Section 2. The purpose of this Law is to ensure the handling of 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 issues of national competence concerning the handling of all forms of food and any food establishment and natural person involved in it. Issues concerning 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), 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.

[17 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 conforms to 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 a service related thereto to human health, life, or the environment shall be determined by the Cabinet.

(3) [27 April 2017 / See Paragraph 26 of the Transitional Provisions]

(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 produced 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) the permit for the 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) the distribution of food products belonging to specific groups shall be notified, such products shall be registered, and their registration shall be cancelled.

(11) The operation of the rapid alert system which is a coordinated and organised exchange of information and actions of the 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 the training and further education of the 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 for raw milk quality.

(15) A State fee shall be paid for the registration of an application for the protected geographical indication, protected designation of origin, traditional speciality guaranteed, for the issuance of the decision on a notice of opposition, and for the registration of an amendment to the specification. The amount of the State fee and its 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. See Paragraph 26 of Transitional Provisions]

Section 5. (1) A food establishment shall engage 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 assigned, and, upon request of the establishment, the approval certificate 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 the approval or registration of food establishments 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 legal acts 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 legal acts 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 agreed upon with the Food and Veterinary Service.

(4) [17 November 2005]

[13 November 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 food safety indicators 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 for 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 production with the quality requirements stipulated by the producer.

(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 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 the direct supply of products of primary production in small amounts to the final consumer or 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 or she 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 shall determine the following for the materials and articles intended to come into contact with food:

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 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 produced 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 on 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 for the mandatory provision of nutrition information.

[6 December 2007; 20 May 2010; 23 October 2014; 27 April 2017]

Section 13.¹ (1) At a food trading venue, a retail establishment shall indicate for the food product the country where it is produced. The relevant country shall be indicated in writing or by the image of its flag. If the food product is produced in the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, it shall be indicated only in writing.

(2) The Cabinet shall determine the criteria for the identification of the country where the food product is produced, the requirements for the presentation of the designations (written information or image of a flag) and the placement thereof referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, and also the exceptions when the placement of designations is not mandatory.

[25 April 2024 / Section shall be applicable from 1 September 2024. See Paragraph 32 of Transitional Provisions]

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 regarding the procedures for the further use or destruction of the food unfit for distribution.

(2) The distributor of the food shall cover the expenditures which are related to the recall, processing, or destruction of unfit food. In such case, it shall also cover the expenditures 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 the optimisation of 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 the nutrition policy and agreement thereupon 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 the 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 which in a given geographical area is supplied to inhabitants through water supply systems for a specific period 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 in the market. The amount of the State fee and its payment procedures shall be determined by the Cabinet.

(3) [27 April 2017 / See Paragraph 25 of 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 for 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 investigation and analysis;

2) in the 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 output produced 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 inspection certificate in case of the 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 public intervention in food products:

a) to control the conformity of the food products to be procured under public intervention 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 investigation 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 designation of origin, and also 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 investigate risk factors and 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 databases 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 for 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 performance 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, during 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 body 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 border control procedures for such food and materials and articles intended for coming into contact with food which are to be imported from the third countries 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 2017; 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 territory of the country.

(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 revenues, revenues from paid services in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the Cabinet, 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 the tasks of State administration 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 for 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) When carrying out scheduled or extraordinary control, officials of the Food and Veterinary Service have the right, within the scope of their competence and by presenting their service identification document:

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 the measures necessary to ensure the 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 talk with the head of a food establishment or natural persons employed in the food establishment about 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 suspicions of harmfulness of food to human health, life, or the environment or the misleading of consumers. The decision shall be immediately enforceable;

5) if necessary, to prepare materials for law enforcement authorities in order to hold the guilty persons criminally liable;

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 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 circulation in case of justified suspicions or establishment of the harmfulness of these materials and articles to human health, life, or the environment. The decision shall be immediately enforceable;

9) to impose an obligation to eliminate the non-conformities within a specified time limit 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 has the right to make a control purchase within the framework of the State monitoring and control. If a food product does not conform to the requirements of the laws and regulations governing the handling of food, the expenditures related to the control purchase shall be covered by the food establishment.

(3) [7 May 2020 / See Paragraph 31 of the Transitional Provisions]

(4) If mass spread of diseases or poisoning caused by food has occurred or such is possible, the State chief food and veterinary inspector shall impose restrictions on the handling of food. The restrictions on the handling of food imposed 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 impose restrictions or prohibitions on the bringing in and distribution of food in Latvia. The restrictions imposed 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 all the types of goods in the vehicle cannot be accessed and an in-depth control of the freight cannot be carried out at the border control point or the appropriate conditions for the particular freight cannot be ensured during the control process. The owner of the freight or a person authorised thereby 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 the 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 the 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 performance of corrective actions shall not suspend its enforcement. The decision and order shall be enforced without delay.

(8) If an operator needs to eliminate the non-conformities found in the control, the Food and Veterinary Service shall, not later than within 90 days, decide on the operator joining the control system of the food quality scheme.

[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 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 production of food products; semi-finished products, and finished products, and also materials and articles 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 / 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 chief food and veterinary inspector of the State 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 applicable laws and regulations.

[13 December 2001; 17 November 2005]

Section 26. [7 May 2020 / See Paragraph 31 of Transitional Provisions]

Chapter VI
Suspension and Renewal of the Operation of Food establishments

[6 December 2007]

Section 27. (1) An 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 established.

(2) [27 April 2017]

(3) [27 April 2017]

(4) Suspension of the operation of a 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 approved 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 found 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 approval and approval 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) A 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. An 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, an 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 the 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 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 Transitional Provisions]

Section 30. For the violation of the safety and quality requirements specified for 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 Transitional Provisions]

Section 31. For the distribution of food not conforming to the pollution requirements or the 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 Transitional Provisions]

Section 32. For the failure to provide information to the Food and Veterinary Service on non-conforming results of the food safety indicators detected during 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 Transitional Provisions]

Section 33. (1) For the provision of false information on the composition of food, its country or place of origin, or for the 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.

(2) For the failure to indicate at a food trading venue the country where the food product is produced, a warning or a fine of up to fifty units of fine shall be imposed on a natural person, but a fine of up to two hundred units of fine - on a legal person.

[7 May 2020; 25 April 2024 / Paragraph two shall be applicable from 1 September 2024. See Paragraph 32 of Transitional Provisions]

Section 34. For engaging 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 on the temporary provision of 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 Transitional Provisions]

Section 35. Administrative offence proceedings regarding 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 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 term 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 operation 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 has been 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 has been assigned 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 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 assign 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, assigning 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 the 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 2010]

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 2010]

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 "articles 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 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]

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 the distribution of food is allowed 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]

32. Section 13.¹ and Section 33, Paragraph two of this Law shall be applicable from 1 September 2024. The Cabinet shall, by 31 May 2024, issue the regulations referred to in Section 13.¹, Paragraph two of this Law.

[25 April 2024]

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 © 2024 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)