Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry exposes widespread food adulteration

The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has released an updated list of food products found to be counterfeit or adulterated. The findings reveal significant irregularities in several common consumer goods.

In the confectionery sector, investigators found that certain pistachio baklava products, such as those from Fıstıksan Gıda Sanayi and Arzu Pastanesi, contained sunflower seeds and food coloring instead of pure pistachio.

Meat products also showed widespread issues. Several brands of beef sausage (sucuk) were found to contain poultry meat and offal, including head meat and tongues. Similar findings were reported in prepared meals like lahmacun and pide dough, which contained poultry meat and stomach lining.

In the olive oil category, multiple brands, including Ayvalık Doğal, were identified as having seed oils mixed into natural extra virgin olive oil. The ministry noted that some businesses have been repeatedly flagged for using different brand names to mask the same adulteration practices.