Main narratives:
- Government does not care about the people;
- Food parcels for the poor will contain bad food;
- Various conspiracies about Trump’s future policies.
Overview:
After Saeima MP Mairita Lūse proposed obliging traders to donate expired products for food parcels to assist the poor, well-known purveyors of disinformation began using this proposal as “evidence” that the government does not care about its people. However, they conflated two entirely different concepts. The original proposal suggested donating food labeled “best before,” not “use by.”
The “use by” label applies to perishable products like meat and dairy that can spoil quickly and pose health risks if consumed after the indicated date. In contrast, the “best before” label indicates the minimum shelf life of a product, warning that it may lose its original taste, smell, texture, or other qualities over time, but does not imply that the food is unsafe to eat. The reform strictly pertains to “best before” products.
Separately, Trump-related conspiracy theories also circulated regarding the United States. These included fabricated claims that Trump had cut government spending by 30% and calls for Latvia to implement similar measures. Another narrative falsely alleged that the U.S. had admitted to the existence of chemical weapons laboratories in Ukraine.
