Turkey's Agriculture Ministry flags tea dye, pistachio substitutes and olive‑oil adulteration in food‑fraud list

On 2 July 2026 the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry released an updated list of foods found to violate safety regulations. The list added two black‑tea brands – Victoria (produced by Akbar Çay) and Kravatlı Çay (Sakaoğlu Group) – after laboratory tests detected the illegal use of food colourants.

Separate investigations uncovered adulterated olive‑oil products in the provinces of Konya, Manisa and Uşak, where seed‑oil blends were sold as “pure” olive oil. The Ministry also announced that the popular dessert chain Ekleristan, previously placed in bankruptcy, had been found to substitute costly Antep pistachios with cheaper sunflower seeds in its “Antep fıstıklı ekler” product.

The ministry cited the 5996 Law on Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed, which obliges public disclosure of foods that threaten consumer health or are subject to fraud. It affirmed that regular inspections will continue to protect consumers and deter similar violations.