The Regulation on the Amendment of the Regulation on the Specifications of Food Additives under the Turkish Food Codex (“Regulation”) was published in the Official Gazette numbered 33141 and dated 18 January 2026 and entered into force accordingly. With the Regulation, amendments have been made to the Regulation on the Specifications of Food Additives under the Turkish Food Codex, which was published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the Official Gazette numbered 30027 (Repetitive) and dated 3 April 2017; and the specifications, definitions, and technical criteria regarding food additives have been updated.
With the amendment made to the Regulation on the Specifications of Food Additives under the Turkish Food Codex, which was enacted for the purpose of determining the specifications of food additives, revisions have been introduced to the annexes containing food additives and their related specifications; new food additives have been added to the list, and the specifications of certain additives have been updated. In addition, transitional provisions have been established to facilitate the implementation of these amendments, granting food business operators a specified period for compliance.
The Regulation has introduced three new food additives into the list together with their specifications:
- E 267 – Buffered Vinegar,
- E 345 (i) – Trimagnesium Dicitrat, and
- E 960b (i) – Rebaudioside M, produced by fermentation using Yarrowia lipolytica.
In addition, E 483 Stearyl Tartrate has been removed from the list by the Regulation.
Furthermore, amendments have been made to the specifications of the food additives listed below, with reductions in the permitted levels of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and zinc:
- E 200 Sorbic Acid and E 202 Potassium Sorbate;
- E 249 Potassium Nitrite, E 250 Sodium Nitrite, E 251 Sodium Nitrate (i) (ii), and E 252 Potassium Nitrate;
- E 310 Propyl Gallate.
In addition, the permitted heavy metal levels in the purity criteria for cellulose food additives numbered E 460 to E 469 have also been reduced.
Under the transitional provisions introduced by the Regulation, food business operators that were operating prior to the publication date of this Regulation have been granted a compliance period until 1 March 2026.
In this respect, products placed on the market before 1 March 2026, as well as foods containing such products, may continue to be placed on the market until the end of their shelf life.
Within the scope of the Regulation, individuals and legal entities carrying out activities related to food additives are required to act in compliance with the technical criteria and transitional provisions set forth in the Regulation; otherwise, it is stipulated that they may be subject to sanctions arising from the applicable legislation.
You can access the full text of the Regulation (only available in Turkish) through this link.
