Chain Supermarket Fined for Misleading Pesticide Advertisement

September 30, 2026 · Dünya Gazetesi

A supermarket chain was fined 1 million 83 thousand TL by the Advertising Board for marketing vegetables with residue within legal limits under the claim of 'no pesticides detected'.

Residue Detection in Supermarket Inspection

Teams from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry collected 56 fresh fruit and vegetable samples from a chain supermarket as part of food safety inspections. In comprehensive analyses conducted in a laboratory setting, pesticide active ingredients were detected in a total of 15 samples, including 7 tomatoes and 8 peppers. It was determined that the chemical residues in question remained below the limits set by the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides and were in compliance with legal regulations.

Investigation Launched into Misleading Advertising

Despite the chemical substances in the products being below legal limits, the company's promotional strategy caught the attention of inspection units. The chain supermarket, with branches nationwide, conducted a large-scale advertising campaign with the slogan 'No Pesticides Detected,' claiming that its products in the fresh vegetable aisles contained no residues. The Advertising Board of the Ministry of Trade determined that presenting products containing chemical active ingredients, even if below the limit, as completely residue-free directly misled consumers and damaged fair competition.

Million Lira Fine from the Advertising Board

Following the conducted investigations, the Advertising Board decided to impose legal sanctions against promotions that manipulate consumer perception. In its evaluation, it was emphasized that the marketing language in question clearly violated the provisions of the Regulation on Commercial Advertisements and Unfair Commercial Practices and Law No. 6502 on the Protection of Consumers. The Board imposed an administrative fine of 1 million 83 thousand TL on the chain supermarket for providing deceptive information to consumers and decided to immediately halt the relevant advertisements.

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