New regulation for meat products from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

With the new Turkish Food Codex Communiqué published in the Official Gazette by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, new limits have been introduced on protein, fat and salt ratios in meat products such as döner, sujuk, meatballs, minced meat, pastrami and roasted meat, while the use of certain additives has been terminated.

New Regulatory Era in Meat Products

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has implemented new regulations for meat and meat products. With the new Turkish Food Codex Communiqué published and enacted in the Official Gazette, new limits were introduced on protein, fat and salt ratios in products such as döner, sujuk, meatballs, minced meat, pastrami and roasted meat.

Döner Contents Will Be Defined in Three Categories

Along with the new regulation, döner on the market will be defined in three different categories according to their contents: whole-cut (yaprak), minced meat, and whole-cut/minced meat mix. While the use of only the term "döner" during sale is prohibited, it has become mandatory to clearly indicate the type of döner on product labels.

Ratios and Additive Restrictions

In minced-meat döner, the proportion of minced meat can be a maximum of 90 percent, and it must contain at least 10 percent whole-cut meat. In whole-cut/minced meat mix döner, the proportion of whole-cut meat is set at a minimum of 60 percent and minced meat at a maximum of 40 percent, while the fat ratio of döner is capped at a maximum of 25 percent and the salt ratio at a maximum of 2 percent.

Transition Period Granted

Businesses have been granted a transition period until March 31, 2027, to comply with the new rules. During this period, producers will align their product contents and labeling systems with the provisions of the new communiqué.