Turkey continues to make changes to food regulations in order to harmonize its approach with the European Union (more). New regulations introduce principles and procedures for adding vitamins, minerals and certain other items to foods. These also update restrictions on active pharmacological ingredients from veterinary drugs which can be present in food from animal origins, along with maximum residue limits.

Two regulations were published in the Official Gazette number 30000 on 7 March 2017:

  • Regulation on Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Certain Other Items into Turkish Food Codex.
  • Regulation on Classification of Pharmacological Active Ingredients in food of animal origin and Maximum Residue Limits of Turkish Food Codex.

Notable changes include:

  • Vitamins and minerals which are in a form ready to be used by human bodies can be added to food, up to certain thresholds (excluding unprocessed food such as fruit, vegetables and meat, as well as beverages with more than 1.2% alcohol). The added vitamins and minerals must also meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • Address a predictable or verifiable vitamin and/or mineral deficiency in the general population (or a part of the population).
    • Potentially improve nutrition or address vitamin/mineral deficiencies for the general population (or a part of the population).
    • Reflect changes in commonly accepted scientific information on the role of vitamins and minerals in nutrition, as well as their impact on health.
  • Foods with added vitamins and minerals must be labelled with information about:
    • Energy value.
    • Quantities of food items.
    • Total amount of added vitamins and minerals.
  • Labels, advertisements and promotions of foods with added vitamins and minerals cannot contain:
    • Any expression indicating or implying a balanced and diverse diet cannot provide necessary nutrition in sufficient quantities.
    • Any misleading or deceptive messages about the food’s nutritional value being attributed to the additions.
  • A 2012 regulation on permitted types and quantities of active pharmacological ingredients in food from animal origins has been updated.

Please see the following links for the full text of the regulations (only available in Turkish).