Label Must Reflect What's Inside
· Halil ETYEMEZ
When a mother buys milk for her child, a father wants to know the value for money when he brings meat home. He wants to trust the words on the packaging and be sure of the content of the product he puts on his table. Maintaining this trust is about protecting the citizen's health and rights. Meat and milk are staple foods that hold an important place in our people's daily nutrition, gracing the ta
When a mother buys milk for her child, a father wants to know the value for money when he brings meat home. He wants to trust the words on the packaging and be sure of the content of the product he puts on his table. Maintaining this trust is about protecting the citizen's health and rights.
Meat and milk are staple foods that hold an important place in our people's daily nutrition, gracing the tables of people of all ages, from our children to our elders. Food safety can never be neglected in products consumed so widely. The care shown at every stage, from production to the table, means protecting public health.
I find the new regulations concerning meat products and drinking milk, announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on September 16, 2026, within the scope of the Turkish Food Codex, valuable in this regard. These efforts, which prevent consumer deception, make product content understandable, and strengthen production standards, directly concern our daily lives.
With the regulation on meat products, it will become mandatory to specify on the label whether döner is sliced, sliced-minced, or minced döner. Restrictions will be placed on fillers like soy and starch used to increase product weight. The permissible fat content in chicken döner will be reduced from 20% to 15%. This makes it easier for citizens to know what they are buying and to assess the value for the price they pay.
In drinking milk, a clearer classification will be introduced, such as full-fat, low-fat, semi-fat, and skimmed. The added sugar content will be limited to a maximum of 5%, and the total sugar content to a maximum of 9.5%. The addition of sugar derivatives like glucose and fructose syrup will be prevented.
I particularly value the conditions imposed on the term 'natural.' According to the new regulation, this term can only be used on drinking milk products that are full-fat and low-fat and contain no additives, flavorings, or other added ingredients. Lactose-free or reduced-lactose drinking milks will not be able to carry this designation. The words that citizens trust must be used in accordance with the actual characteristics of the product.
The basic principle is clear: what's inside must be written on the label. Our people should be able to understand what they are paying for, what they are consuming, and what they are serving their families. The writing, visuals, and statements on the packaging must reflect the actual content of the product. It is as important for the information to be legible and understandable as it is for it to exist. Citizens should not have to be experts to understand the product they are buying.
This transparency also protects the rights of the honest producer. Businesses that work hard for quality production, adhere to rules, and accurately disclose their content need to be protected from unfair competition. A reliable market is strengthened by jointly safeguarding consumer rights and producer labor.
During the compliance period granted to existing businesses until March 31, 2027, it will be beneficial to explain the new rules to citizens and the sector with simple examples. Supporting the regulations with effective supervision will ensure they are reflected on the shelves and at the tables. As an educator, I also emphasize the importance of instilling label-reading and conscious consumption habits in our children from an early age.
I would like to thank the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. İbrahim Yumaklı, and the Ministry staff who contributed, for these efforts aimed at protecting our citizens' health and rights. Every serious step taken to protect our people's tables, family budgets, and the labor of our honest producers should be supported, and the value of the work done should be recognized.
Every product that reaches the table carries a trust. Protecting this trust is our shared responsibility.
May you be entrusted to God. Please forgive my shortcomings.