Türkiye Tightens Food Rules to Protect Consumers

A Big Change in Food Safety

Türkiye is preparing new rules to improve food safety across the country. The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has drafted a regulation that will affect many businesses, from small restaurants and butcher shops to large meat and dairy factories.

The main goal is simple: make food safer, cleaner, and easier to track from the source to the customer.

Where Meat and Dairy Come From

Under the new rules, restaurants, butchers, and delicatessens must clearly declare where their meat comes from. This means they cannot use unknown or unregistered suppliers.

If there is a food problem later, authorities will be able to quickly find where the meat was produced and how it was handled.

Dual Approval for High-Risk Facilities

Meat and dairy processing plants are considered high-risk. These businesses will now need two approvals:

Conditional approval – This allows the business to start operating under close supervision.
Full approval – This is given only after strict inspections are passed.

If a facility fails inspections, it will not be allowed to continue operating.

Professionals Will Be Mandatory

Food processing businesses will be required to employ trained and licensed professionals, such as:

Food engineers
Veterinarians

These experts will help ensure that food is produced safely and according to the rules.

More Transparency for Consumers

Consumers will be able to check food businesses more easily. Registration numbers must be shown on product labels and business premises.

With these numbers, people can see whether a business is officially registered and approved.

Registration Before Opening

Many food businesses will need official registration before they can open, including:

Bakeries
Grocery stores
Restaurants

Ready-meal service providers will not be allowed to operate without a registration certificate. After applying, authorities will inspect the business within 15 days.

Full Tracking of Food Production

Businesses must record every step of production. This includes:

Where ingredients come from
When food is produced
How and where it is stored

If a food safety problem happens, officials can quickly trace the source.

New Rules for Honey Production

Beekeeping and honey production will also face stricter controls. Honey must be produced in fully independent areas, using equipment only for honey.

This is meant to prevent contamination and protect product quality.

Stronger Inspections and Penalties

Authorities will closely monitor hygiene, pest control, and employee health. All records must be kept and shown during inspections.

If a business breaks the rules, officials can suspend operations or cancel its license completely.

What This Means for the Public

These changes aim to build trust in food products and protect public health. While businesses will face stricter rules, consumers are expected to benefit from safer, more transparent food systems across Türkiye.

Source: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkiye-to-raise-food-safety-standards-with-dual-approval-system-for-meat-dairy-218516