Turkey has once again become the leading violator of food safety standards in the European Union, with its exports triggering a record 488 alerts in 2024.
This information was made available through the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
This not only puts Türkiye at the top of the list, but also demonstrates that there has been a rise from 408 alerts in 2023 to 488 in 2024.
This places Turkey at the top of the list of countries that do not comply with the EU’s stringent food safety regulations.
The top five countries were Turkey, China, Poland, India and the Netherlands.
The recurrent violations demonstrate that there are significant regulatory flaws in Turkey’s food safety framework that must be addressed if Ankara hopes to reverse its negative reputation.
The RASFF is a very important tool that ensures the safety of food products entering the EU market. It is this tool that flagged a wide range of issues in Turkish exports towards the EU and led to many rejections.
What issues did products from Turkey have in terms of food safety?
Some of the most prominent issues that were flagged in 2024 for Turkey’s products included excessive pesticide residues, pathogenic microorganisms, contamination, unauthorized additives and mycotoxins.
Products such as dried figs, pistachios, fresh lemons and tomatoes were frequently cited for containing harmful substances like aflatoxins and chlorpyrifos—chemicals.
These are completely banned in the EU due to their health risks. However, they were found in food products that tried to enter the EU from Turkey. Salmonella was also detected in several products, including ground hazelnuts and sesame seeds, a major hazard for public health.
These failures continue to come up due to systemic problems within Turkey’s regulatory institutions.
It is evident that Turkey’s regulatory agencies prioritize political interests over public health, allowing unsafe products to enter both domestic and international markets. Despite Turkey’s obligations under its customs union agreement with the EU to align its food safety standards with EU regulations, progress has been minimal.
The Turkish Food Safety and Control Directorate has already faced criticism for its lack of transparency and inadequate enforcement. Products rejected by EU authorities are often not flagged domestically within Turkey.
This is an important element of the problem as it clearly shows that there is a possibility that these items may still be sold within Turkey. For instance, while dried figs and pistachios were repeatedly rejected by the EU for contamination, Turkish authorities did not take corresponding action.
The situation has drawn international attention as well. Alerts issued by the RASFF are shared globally through networks like INFOSAN to mitigate risks worldwide. However, Turkey’s inconsistent responses to these alerts have frustrated EU officials and raised questions about its commitment to addressing food safety concerns.
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