Turkey faces massive bread waste totaling 38 billion TL annually

Bread waste in Turkey has reached significant levels, with daily waste rising to 6 million loaves compared to 5 million a decade ago. This equates to an annual loss of approximately 2.19 billion loaves, or 542,000 tons of bread. The economic impact of this waste is estimated at roughly 38.325 billion TL per year.

Experts note that while bread has a shelf life of 3 to 7 days, it is often discarded the day after production under the assumption that it has become stale. In the Aydın region, some bread produced for human consumption is being sold as animal feed to prevent it from being thrown away entirely. While this practice aims to reduce waste, experts continue to monitor the economic and health implications of such disposal methods.