Organizations responsible for the food quality infrastructure in Türkiye: 

There are four public institutions and one semi-public one with relevance to food quality and safety in Türkiye: 

• the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the authority for inspecting all food stages from production to consumption and took over all responsibility for food safety inspections. https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/GKGM/Menus/81/Turkish-Food-Codex-Legislation  

• the Ministry of Health is the authority for Inspection and analysis of drinking water quality and safety. 

• The TSE (Turkish Standards Institution): is a public institution and the sole authorized body for standardization in Türkiye, operates in diverse fields of quality infrastructure that includes certification, testing, training as well as surveillance and inspection activities. TSE, as a standardization body, provides the standards aimed at enabling industrialists to produce goods and services in compliance with rules, laws, codes, and standards applicable in global markets, as well as being a notified body, enables clients to gain access to the European and Gulf market by ensuring their products meets all CE mark requirements according to European Directives/Regulations and G mark requirements according to GSO regulations. https://en.tse.org.tr/Hakkimizda  

• the Turkish Patent Institute (TPE) acts as a certification and auditing body for utility models, trademarks, geographical indications, traditional product names, designs, and integrated circuit topographies in accordance with the provisions of the relevant legislation and the protection of these rights. TPE has been established, as an independent legal entity with a special budget being attached to the Ministry of Industry and Trade with the objective to support technological development in Türkiye and to protect industrial property rights, as well as to provide the public with information on industrial property rights, thereby supporting the cultivation of a competitive environment and the development of research and development activities (www.tpe.gov.tr) 

• the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) is a semi-public accreditation body affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye supplying accessibility of standards and quality audits worldwide. TÜRKAK has been established subject to private law provisions but is linked to the Prime Ministry. TÜRKAK accredits local and international bodies rendering laboratory, certification, and inspection services ensuring the operation in accordance with established national and international standards and thereby facilitating international recognition of products/services, system, personnel, and laboratory certificates (www.turkak.org.tr ). 

A list of accredited labs can be found via this link https://secure.turkak.org.tr/kapsam/search  

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List