Baltic, Foodstuff, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies

Podskocija mentioned deception of consumers as to product ingredients as the reason for halting retail. The ban will be in effect until further action, she added.

Maxima's Ivars Andins reported that his chain is awaiting results from the Latvian Food and Veterinary Service about specific RGK products, adding that at this time there is "no information confirming or rejecting that RKG's canned meat has 'problems.'"

The Rimi Estonian store chain withdrew from sale canned meat dishes made in Latvia that are suspected of containing horsemeat.

Rimi Eesti Food informed the Estonian Veterinary and Food Board on Monday that in connection with the orders of the Lithuanian Veterinary and Food Board to stop selling the canned meat dishes made by Latvian company SIA Rezeknes Galas Kombinats, that contained horsemeat that wasn’t declared, Rimi Estonia also withdrew a number of canned meat dishes from Estonian stores that were produced for Rimi Estonia by SIA Rezeknes Galas Kombinats.

Äripäev said that similar products are on sale in other Estonian retail chains too.

Estonian Veterinary and Food Board head Ago Pärtel said that according to the Lithuanian Veterinary and Food Board's confirmation, a very modest percentage of horsemeat was discovered in a few canned meat dishes of a Latvian company and that the exact product names and shipment numbers would be revealed in the near future.