Dear Member,
According to the letter received from the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), with reference to the letter of the General Directorate of Food and Control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, information is provided regarding the compliance periods applicable to mass catering establishments within the scope of the amendments made to the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Labelling and Consumer Information and its implementation guideline. The implementation guideline can be accessed via https://kms.kaysis.gov.tr/Home/Goster/204259.
Taking consumer sensitivities into consideration, an amendment was made to the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Labelling and Consumer Information on 6 April 2024. Pursuant to Article 48 of the Regulation, which states, 'Where deemed necessary, instructions or guidelines prepared for the implementation of the provisions of this Regulation shall be published on the Ministry's website. Food business operators are also required to comply with the provisions set out in the guidelines prepared in relation to the provisions of this Regulation.' food business operators are also required to comply with the provisions of the Guideline. The Guideline can be accessed via https://kms.kaysis.gov.tr/Home/Goster/204259.
Article 41 of the same Guideline states, 'At mass catering establishments, together with the name of any food, information regarding allergens, alcohol and ingredients of porcine origin must also be provided if they are present in the composition of the food. Food business operators are required to inform consumers about the ingredients and energy value of foods offered to consumers at mass catering establishments. Information regarding the ingredients and energy value of food at mass catering establishments may be provided through menus, notice boards, brochures, QR codes, digital screens and similar means in a manner that is easily visible and clearly legible to consumers. Where this information is provided via a QR code, written information stating that "this information can be accessed via the QR code and, for consumers who do not have a device capable of scanning the QR code, the information will be provided upon request" must be displayed in a location that is easily visible to consumers.' This provision specifies the mandatory information to be provided at mass catering establishments, while the relevant compliance periods are regulated under Article 47 of the Guideline.
Mass catering establishments are required to comply with the provisions introduced by Article 41 of this Guideline within the following periods:
- For mass catering establishments operating as nationwide chains, by 01/07/2026,
- For mass catering establishments with three or more branches operating solely within the boundaries of the province in which they are located, by 31/12/2026,
- For all other mass catering establishments, by 31/12/2026 with respect to ingredient declarations and by 31/12/2027 with respect to energy value declarations.
Kind regards,
İzmir Commodity Exchange
