Ministry of Agriculture Re-defines Meat Product Standards
· Milliyet Ekonomi
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has finalized a comprehensive draft regulation prohibiting the addition of external protein and fillers to meat products, safeguarding traditional flavors.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is undertaking a comprehensive update to the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Meat, Prepared Meat Mixtures, and Meat Products to ensure food safety, protect consumer interests, and prevent unfair competition in the sector. Within the scope of the regulation, which is planned to be published in the Official Gazette and enter into force shortly, the addition of external protein and nitrogen sources to meat products will be prohibited. Only the meat's own natural protein and technologically necessary ingredients such as milk, eggs, and yogurt will be allowed in the products. Furthermore, the definition of burger will be added to the legislation for the first time, making it mandatory for burgers to be produced in accordance with meatball criteria.
With the new draft regulation, the aim is to preserve the original structure of traditional meat products such as sucuk, pastrami, and kavurma. In this regard, the smoking process, which alters the accustomed taste and aroma profile in traditional products, will be discontinued. At the same time, the use of flavoring agents such as peanuts or cheese in these products will be prohibited, ensuring the continuation of traditional production methods. The use of dietary fibers, starch, and soy derivatives, which are preferred as fillers to increase the weight of meat products, will also be controlled with new restrictions.
The new regulation also brings significant structural changes to döner and poultry meat products. It will become mandatory to clearly state 'leaf döner', 'leaf-minced döner', and 'minced döner' on döner labels according to the production method. According to the Ministry's study, the calcium content in poultry sucuk will be increased from 350 milligrams per kilogram to 400 milligrams. The maximum fat content in prepared poultry meat mixtures and poultry döner will be reduced from 20% to 15%, further enhancing product quality and food standards.
| Value | Measure |
|---|---|
| 400 mg/kg | New calcium upper limit for poultry sausage |
| 350 mg/kg | Old calcium upper limit for poultry sausage |
| 15 % | New maximum fat content for poultry meat döner and mixtures |
| 20 % | Old maximum fat content for poultry meat döner and mixtures |