Unsafe Foods Buried in Soil with Packaging in Şile
· Google Haberler
The burial of confiscated expired food products and contraband alcohol in Şile, without separating them from their packaging, in an open field has sparked controversy, according to inspections by the Şile District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry.
Destruction Causing Controversy in Şile
The food destruction process carried out by the Şile District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, has caused discussions in the environmental and agricultural public opinion. It was announced that alcoholic beverages and expired cheese, milk, yogurt, and processed meat products confiscated during district directorate inspections were destroyed under the supervision of control officers and municipal police teams. However, the application images shared on the institution's social media account revealed that while food safety was ensured, environmental protection rules were not observed.
Packaging Buried Without Separation
The shared photos show products, transported to an open field by municipal vehicles, being directly dumped into a deep pit dug by heavy machinery. Expired milk and meat products were poured into the pit without being removed from their plastic bags, and contraband alcohol was dumped with its glass bottles and cardboard boxes. In the area where organic waste and packaging waste were not separated, technical infrastructure measures such as impermeable lining or leachate collection systems were clearly absent.
Licensed Facility in the District Not Used
The most striking aspect of the application was the presence of the Kömürcüoda Integrated Waste Management Facility, operating under İSTAÇ, in the same district. This facility, where waste from the Anatolian side of Istanbul is managed under control, performs biomethanization, landfilling, leachate treatment, and waste-to-energy production. Despite this, no official explanation has been provided as to why the confiscated food and beverages were not sent to the aforementioned licensed disposal facility.
Contradiction with Legislation and Zero Waste
Law No. 5996 on Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed Law, and Law No. 4733 provide the basis for the destruction of unreliable products. However, the Waste Management Regulation strictly prohibits the haphazard dumping and storage of waste in the soil. This method, which contradicts the Zero Waste and food protection targets pursued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, is assessed to pose new risks to environmental and soil health.