The PVD said that the products were imported into Latvia from Lithuania, where they were withdrawn from trade as part of an international operation at the beginning of summer due to false expiry dates.
The Lithuanian food authority provided information in the EU food fraud network that some of the goods removed in Lithuania may have ended up in Latvia.
The PVD immediately initiated an investigation, which led to the identification of both the transporter of the goods, the route, and the warehouse to which the goods were taken.
The inspection found that the goods were imported into Latvia by the Lithuanian company MB SYSTEMII, which purchased them from the Lithuanian company for which distribution of these goods in Lithuania was suspended.
The warehouse contained foods with modified or falsified expiration dates. For some, they have been extended by as much as a year, the PVD noted. The expiry dates have been changed for chocolate, candy, chips, oils, sauces, tea, dry soups, and other foods.
Products with changed expiry dates have been withdrawn from circulation. For the infringements found, MB SYSTEMII was fined EUR 1,100 and ordered to destroy the seized goods.
