Turkey Ministry of Agriculture exposes food fraud in olive oil and meat

The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has released an updated list of food products found to be counterfeit or adulterated, identifying 21 brands involved in significant fraudulent practices. A major finding involves the olive oil sector, where numerous producers in regions such as Hatay, Izmir, Aydın, and Balıkesir were caught mixing cheap seed oils into products marketed as ‘natural extra virgin olive oil.’

Beyond olive oil, the ministry’s inspections revealed widespread irregularities in other food categories. In the meat sector, authorities detected horse or donkey meat in minced meat sold in Mersin, as well as poultry and various offal being sold as beef or lamb in restaurants across Bursa, Istanbul, Mersin, and Konya.

Additional findings include adulterated flower honey in Burdur, foreign substances in saffron in Istanbul, and the use of unauthorized chemical dyes in sumac and red pepper in Tarsus and Kahramanmaraş. Furthermore, certain herbal pastes and detox teas were found to contain medicinal active ingredients, such as sildenafil and tadalafil, posing risks to human health.