Be Careful of Baklava Tricks!

Counterfeit and Adulteration in Food: Current Situation and Precautions

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regularly updates food imitation and adulteration lists to ensure food safety. In this context, 31 new products have been added to the list with the latest updates. This is an important development that requires consumers to be more careful.

Peanut Scandal in Baklava

During the inspections carried out in Kahramanmaraş, a serious problem was detected in the content of baklava produced by a baklava maker. Cevizli The discovery of peanuts in baklava sold as a dessert has been a major disappointment for both consumers and the industry. Baklava and Dessert Producers Association Chairman Mehmet Yıldırım evaluated this situation as “difficult to distinguish”. He stated that it is extremely difficult for consumers to distinguish such fake products due to the color and shape of peanuts that resemble walnuts.

Allergenic Effect of Peanut

Food Engineer Nurten Sırma stated that peanuts in their shells are in the allergenic group. This is extremely important because some individuals may develop an allergic reaction to the protein in peanuts. Therefore, this information must be included on the packaging of any product containing peanuts. Such allergens can cause serious health problems, especially for children and individuals prone to allergies.

Food Safety and Consumer Rights

One of the most important things that consumers should pay attention to when purchasing food products is the product content labels. The accuracy and completeness of the information on the product packaging directly affects the health of consumers. Food safety is closely related not only to the content of the products but also to the production process. Therefore, if manufacturers adopt a transparent production process, consumer confidence will increase.

Methods to Combat Food Counterfeit and Adulteration

Various methods and strategies have been developed to combat food counterfeiting and adulteration. These methods include strict inspections, as well as consumer education and awareness-raising activities. Consumers need to be informed in order to understand which products are fake. In this context, it is of great importance to organize campaigns that will raise awareness about food safety.

Importance of Audits

Inspections play a critical role in ensuring food safety. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regularly conducts inspections to detect imitation and adulteration of food products. The aim of these inspections is to provide healthy and reliable food products to consumers. In addition, ensuring that producers act in accordance with legal frameworks will increase the sustainability of the food sector.

Consumer Awareness is Rising

In recent years, consumers’ awareness of food safety has increased. With increased access to information and social media, people are becoming more careful. In addition, increased opportunities to learn about the ingredients of food products help consumers make healthier choices. However, this awareness process needs to continue and more people need to be informed.

As a result

Fighting food imitation and adulteration is a vital issue in terms of preventing health problems and ensuring food safety. It is extremely important for consumers to carefully examine product labels, pay attention to packaging information and choose reliable brands. In this context, both the state and civil society organizations have responsibilities. Steps to be taken for food safety are of critical importance in terms of protecting public health and leaving a healthier environment for future generations.