Recent cases of food fraud exposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry are under scrutiny in Ankara. The Ankara Food Control Laboratory has opened their doors to showcase their analysis efforts. To combat food adulteration and fraud, intensive work is ongoing at the food control laboratory in Ankara.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announces any discrepancies found during food inspections through the New Food Public Announcement System on the ministry’s website. In accordance with the 8th article of the Regulation on Official Control of Food and Feed dated December 17, 2011, the names of companies producing or selling altered foods endangering lives and health, along with their product names, brands, batch, and serial numbers are shared here. Samples taken from establishments during inspections are brought to the Food Control Laboratory Directorate for examination.
Inappropriate food items detected at 41 directorates, including the Ankara Food Control Laboratory, are first removed from the market, and then fines are imposed on the establishments selling unfit food under relevant legislation. The Ankara Food Control Laboratory has opened its doors to showcase analysis efforts. Laboratory Director Yusuf Varlık mentioned that samples collected by provincial and district agricultural directorate food inspectors are brought to the sample receiving units.
Varlık provided the following information on the sample inspection process:
-Seals, deformations, bags, and temperature controls are conducted before entering the Food Control Laboratory System of our ministry.
-Samples are sent to the laboratories with barcodes within.
-Once samples arrive at the laboratory, they are handed over to the responsible laboratory unit personnel for analysis.
-Each sample undergoes an initial analytical stage. After the initial stage, samples are sent to the devices.
-Peaks from the devices are evaluated to determine if the sample is ‘appropriate’ or ‘inappropriate’.
-If a sample is determined to be inappropriate, additional analysis is conducted. Once the results are confirmed, a report is generated.
-The report is sent to the provincial directorate, which then sends a letter to the relevant company within 7 days to exercise their ‘witness’ and ‘objection’ rights.
-If a company wishes to exercise its witness rights, the sample is sent to another laboratory of the ministry for further analysis.
-If the sample is deemed ‘inappropriate’ there as well, penalty procedures are carried out by the provincial directorate. Varlık highlighted that the laboratory covers an area of 23,500 square meters, with 16 laboratory units, making it one of the most equipped laboratories in Turkey. The laboratory provides analysis services both domestically and internationally, ensuring high levels of trust. Analyses are carried out by 185 staff using state-of-the-art equipment.
Varlık noted that approximately 100 to 150 samples are received daily, amounting to 18,000 to 20,000 samples annually. Regarding honey products, Varlık emphasized that about 14 parameters are analyzed, which include sugar components, HMF profiles, and diastase analyses. The laboratory conducts analyses such as carbon composition and pollen analysis in different units.
Varlık also disclosed, “We examine the composition of fatty acids, the sterility of oils, and whether there is seed oil content. We can easily detect the presence of additional oils in olive oil with a high level of technological precision. Our devices are highly advanced and our staff is highly skilled.
In terms of food adulteration, we work extremely safely. We can examine around 22 different types of meat products. Some analyses are conducted with a sensitivity of 0.1%, while for products like chicken meatballs, where there is a risk of eggs being added, we use devices with 1% sensitivity to prevent any unjust penalties.”