News Details

The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has published amendments to the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Specifications for Food Additives, bringing national legislation into closer alignment with European Union standards.

Published in the Official Gazette on January 18, 2026 (No. 33141), the regulation introduces significant changes to specifications and purity criteria for various food additives, harmonizing Turkey's framework with European Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.

What's Changed: Key Updates for Industry

Three New Additives Join the Authorized List:

• Buffered vinegar (E 267) - now approved with established specifications
• Trimagnesium dicitrate (E 345(i)) - newly authorized with purity criteria
• Steviol glycosides (E 960b) - specifications set for this natural sweetener

Stricter Safety Standards for Preservatives: Tightened purity requirements now apply to nitrites and nitrates, with updated limits for:

• Loss on drying
• Arsenic content
• Lead levels
• Mercury contamination

Affected Additives: Nitrites (E 249–250) and Nitrates (E 251–252)

One Additive Removed:

• Stearyl tartrate (E 483) has been withdrawn from the authorized food additives list

Refined Specifications for Common Additives: Three widely-used additives receive updated definitions and purity criteria:

• Propyl gallate (E 310) - antioxidant
• Sorbic acid (E 200) - preservative
• Potassium sorbate (E 202) - preservative

Major Overhaul of Cellulose-Based Additives: The regulation introduces comprehensive updates to specifications for nine cellulose-based additives commonly used as thickeners, stabilizers, and emulsifiers in food products. All nine now have revised definitions, identification methods, and purity standards:

• Cellulose (E 460)
• Methyl cellulose (E 461)
• Ethyl cellulose (E 462)
• Hydroxypropyl cellulose (E 463)
• Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (E 464)
• Ethyl methyl cellulose (E 465)
• Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/cellulose gum (E 466)
• Cross-linked variants (E 468)
• Enzymatically hydrolyzed variants (E 469)

Implementation Timeline

The regulation entered into force on January 18, 2026, with a transitional period granted until March 1, 2026. Food business operators have until this deadline to comply with the new requirements. During the transition period, they may continue operating under the previous regulations. Products placed on the market before March 1, 2026, that comply with the old specifications may remain available until the end of their shelf life.

Background

This amendment follows the original notification of the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Specifications for Food Additives (G/TBT/N/TUR/79) from October 2016, representing ongoing efforts to harmonize Turkish food safety standards with international best practices. For detailed regulatory guidance and compliance support, contact GPC.