Market Fined for Deceptive Pesticide Advertising

October 1, 2026 · A Haber

A chain supermarket was fined 1 million 83 thousand Turkish Lira for deceptive advertising, claiming no pesticide residue in the vegetables sold at its Antalya branches.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Commerce's Advertising Board have made a significant decision as part of food safety inspections from farm to table. A chain supermarket, which engaged in deceptive advertising despite the presence of pesticide residues in the vegetables sold at its branches across Antalya, has been fined 1 million 83 thousand Turkish Lira by the Ministry of Commerce's Advertising Board. The company's posters and advertisements claiming no residues in its products were found to be misleading to consumers.

In inspections conducted by auditors from the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, 56 fresh fruit and vegetable samples were collected from the supermarket chain in question. Laboratory analyses revealed the presence of pesticide active ingredients in a total of 15 products, including 7 tomatoes and 8 peppers. These analyses, recorded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, concretely demonstrated that the company's claims of 'no pesticides detected' did not reflect reality.

In a statement made by the Ministry of Commerce's Advertising Board, it was emphasized that the active ingredients in the examined tomatoes and peppers were below the legal limits specified in the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides. Although the products complied with legal regulations and sales conditions, it was determined that the market management deceived consumers by creating a perception of 'no pesticide residue whatsoever,' and administrative sanctions were applied.

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