Turkish Food Codex introduces new meat product regulations

New regulations introduced by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry within the Turkish Food Codex aim to standardize meat and meat product production. These changes follow discussions held during the II. Traditional Meat and Meat Products Workshop organized by the Kayseri Commodity Exchange (KTB) between October 23-25, 2025.

The new standards implement restrictions on the use of fillers such as soy and starch to prevent artificial weight increases. To preserve the authenticity of traditional products like sucuk, pastırma, and kavurma, the use of certain smoking processes and additives like pistachios or cheese is prohibited.

Labeling requirements have also been tightened; döner products must now be explicitly labeled as ‘yaprak döner’, ‘yaprak-kıyma döner’, or ‘kıyma döner’. Additionally, the fat content in prepared poultry meat mixtures and poultry döner has been reduced from 20% to 15%. The regulations also establish specific definitions and production criteria for burger products to ensure consumer transparency and food safety.