Turkey Updates Adulteration List: Horse Meat Found in Cured Meat, Food Coloring in Paste

Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has updated its public list of companies found to be adulterating or imitating food products, exposing a range of deceptive practices in the market. The latest update adds 34 products to the growing roster of items that do not meet regulatory standards.

A significant finding in the updated list is the detection of horse meat in nine different "kavurma" products. Kavurma is a traditional Turkish meat dish, and the presence of undeclared horse meat constitutes a serious violation of food safety and labeling laws.

Beyond the meat adulteration, the ministry also identified other forms of food fraud. For instance, tomato paste products were found to contain undeclared food coloring, a practice aimed at artificially enhancing the product's appearance without meeting quality standards. These findings underscore the ministry's ongoing efforts to ensure consumer protection and maintain the integrity of the food supply chain.