Buying Meat at a Butcher in Turkey: What the New Rules Mean at the Counter

Fresh red meat · Taze kırmızı et

Cuts you point at

Raw red meat may be sold loose at the counter under minimum hygiene conditions; the labelling regulation’s rule for loose food then applies. Tebliğ art. 6(1)(ç)

On show or in hand

The name of the meat, allergen information, the use-by or best-before date, the name and address of the business and the country of origin must be where you can see them, or be handed to you with the meat, plus any extra statements the regulation’s annex requires for certain ingredients. Labelling Reg. art. 15(3)(b)

If you ask

The seller must tell you all the mandatory information. Labelling Reg. art. 15(3)(c)

Origin

The country of origin is written out in clear words, not abbreviated. Labelling Reg. art. 31(1)

Look and smell

Meat must have its own taste, smell, look and structure. It may not be spoiled, and nothing may be applied to hold spoilage back. Tebliğ art. 5(13) Tebliğ art. 5(14)

Mince · Kıyma

Made when you ask

At a Turkish butcher’s, mince is made for you on the spot.

Made when

Only when the customer asks, on the spot. Tebliğ art. 6(1)(b)

On the label

Two statements, fat at most and the collagen ratio at most, in the main view and at least two-thirds the size of the product name. Tebliğ art. 18(1)(b)

What is in it

Lean mince: fat at most 7%. Beef mince: at most 20%. Other species and permitted mixed mince: at most 25%. Tebliğ art. 5(2) Annex EK-1

Ministry advice

Choose mince ground from a piece you pick, not ready-made mince. Güvenilir Gıda, advice

The limits as a table

Köfte · Köfte

May be made fresh each day

Uncooked köfte is one of two groups of prepared mixtures a butcher may have ready. The other is regional dishes such as Kilis tava and kâğıt kebabı.

Made

Daily, uncooked, from cattle and/or sheep and goat carcass meat. Tebliğ art. 6(1)(a)

Recipe limits

Köfte and burgers made from mince: meat protein at least 10%, fat at most 25%, salt at most 2%. Tebliğ art. 7(1)

No fillers

No protein powder, starch or soy added. Starch and plant protein that come with spices, bread or breadcrumbs together stay at 5% or less (milk, egg and their proteins are left out). Tebliğ art. 7(2)

Seasoned or marinated · Marine et

Made on the spot, when you ask

Raw red meat with other foods, flavourings or additives added is a prepared red meat mixture in the Tebliğ.

Made when

Only when the customer asks, on the spot. Köfte and regional dishes excepted. Tebliğ art. 6(1)(b)

What it is

Raw red meat plus other foods, flavourings or additives. Tebliğ art. 4(1)(l)

Marinating

Treating raw meat with salt, vegetable oil or other foods and flavourings. Tebliğ art. 4(1)(ff)

Plain meat stays plain

Raw meat and mince may not have other food ingredients or substances added or applied. The exceptions are in the special hygiene rules for animal-origin food and in the food additives regulation. Tebliğ art. 5(3)

Poultry mince · Kanatlı kıyma

Sold frozen

Two rules sit side by side in the text: a retailer may prepare poultry mince when the customer asks Tebliğ art. 6(1)(b), and poultry mince is sold only frozen Tebliğ art. 8(2). The Tebliğ does not say how the two fit together: ask the shop which one it follows.

Sold

Poultry mince and mixtures made with it: only frozen. Tebliğ art. 8(2)

Made when

A retailer may prepare poultry mince only when the customer asks, on the spot. Tebliğ art. 6(1)(b)

On the label

The sentence “Pişirme sırasında merkezi sıcaklık en az 72 °C’ye ulaşmalıdır.” (during cooking the core temperature must reach at least 72 °C). The Tebliğ puts it on raw poultry, poultry mince and prepared poultry mixtures. Tebliğ art. 18(1)(c)

Frozen label

Frozen raw meat, mince and prepared mixtures carry “Çözündürüldükten sonra tekrar dondurulmaz.” (not refrozen after thawing). Tebliğ art. 18(1)(o)

Read these on a label

Chicken · Tavuk

Sold in its pack

Raw poultry comes prepackaged, and the butcher hands it over with the pack intact.

Sold

Raw poultry is put on the market prepackaged. The retailer hands it to the buyer without breaking the pack. Tebliğ art. 6(1)(c)

Cutting

A pack you have bought may be cut up straight away if you ask. Tebliğ art. 6(1)(c)

On the label

Raw poultry carries the sentence “Pişirme sırasında merkezi sıcaklık en az 72 °C’ye ulaşmalıdır.” Tebliğ art. 18(1)(c)

Ministry advice

Prefer a whole chicken to pieces. Güvenilir Gıda, advice

Döner · Döner

Three names for red-meat döner

The product name carries the type word, yaprak, kıyma or yaprak-kıyma, in the same colour and lettering as the name. The ratios themselves stay off the label.

Yaprak

Leaf-cut raw red meat only. Tebliğ art. 7(3)

Kıyma

At most 90% mince and at least 10% leaf-cut raw red meat. Tebliğ art. 7(3)

Yaprak-kıyma

At least 60% leaf-cut and at most 40% mince. Tebliğ art. 7(3)

Poultry döner

Yaprak or yaprak-kıyma only. Tebliğ art. 8(4)

Not allowed

No pistachio, cheese or similar added, and no smoking. Tebliğ art. 7(4)(b) Tebliğ art. 9(14)

The three names in a table

Sucuk and pastırma · Sucuk, pastırma

Cured meats have their own bans

No smoke

Sucuk, pastırma, kıyma kavurma, kavurma and döner cannot be smoked. Smoke flavouring (tütsü aroma vericisi) is not used in sucuk, pastırma, kavurma and döner. Tebliğ art. 9(14) Tebliğ art. 11(1)

No add-ins

No pistachio, cheese or similar in sucuk, heat-treated sucuk, döner, poultry döner, pastırma, kıyma kavurma or kavurma. Tebliğ art. 9(7)

Sucuk

Total meat protein at least 15%, collagen share at most 20%. Tebliğ art. 9(1)(a)(1)–(2)

Pastırma

When pastırma is sold with its çemen (the spice paste) stripped off, the label says “Çemeni sıyrılmıştır.” Tebliğ art. 18(1)(ğ)