QR Code Tracking to Combat Counterfeit Ezine Cheese Begins
· Dünya Gazetesi
A digital QR code tracking system is being implemented to prevent consumer grievances and counterfeit products for EU-registered Ezine cheese.
QR Code Era for Ezine Cheese
A new traceability era is being launched for Ezine cheese, Turkey's first cheese to receive European Union registration. Thanks to a project prepared by the Ezine Municipality, which also plans to involve the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ezine District Governorship, consumers will gain access to digital tracking capabilities. With the QR code system on packaging, citizens will be able to see in real-time which dairy farm produced the product they purchased, which business it came from, and through which stages it passed.
The Unique Flavor of the Kaz Mountains
The quality of the world-renowned Ezine cheese stems from the milk provided by sheep, goats, and cows grazing on the foothills of the Kaz Mountains. The rich thyme cover and endemic plant diversity in the region provide the basis for animals to yield productive and aromatic milk. In the traditional production formula, 15% of Ezine cheese is obtained from cow's milk, while the remaining large portion is derived from sheep and goat milk, thus preserving its characteristic flavor balance.
Regional Production and EU Registration
Production of Ezine cheese, which provides high added value to the regional economy with its geographical indication registration, reaches approximately 250,000 to 300,000 tins annually. According to standards, 1 tin of cheese averages 18 kilograms. With the completion of the public display period on November 18 for the official application made to the European Union in February 2023, Ezine cheese has gained the status of a strategic product registered in the international market.
Safe Food and Consumer Tracking
Ezine Mayor Güray Yüksel stated that their aim is to prevent counterfeit product victimization and made the following remarks regarding the process:
"As the Ezine Municipality, and as a member of a family that has earned a living from this business for years, I realized that people have experienced significant grievances along the way. As a result, we, the Ezine Municipality, rolled up our sleeves. I believe we have a serious intention to involve our Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and our District Governorship in the project. Our aim is to provide consumers with access to a reliable product and to ensure it is genuinely Ezine cheese, without the slightest concern or doubt, by showing through the QR code they scan after purchase which dairy farm, which business, and what kind of production process it went through. We plan to quickly implement this project with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, whom we consider our biggest supporter. Most importantly, we aim to safely offer our citizens and fellow townspeople the Ezine cheese, a product with the highest brand value for years, a geographically registered product of Europe and Turkey, as a healthy food for our precious children whom we leave to tomorrow and for all the products we consume."