Turkey to set ayran standards

BURSA - Anatolia News Agency

Turkey will conduct negotiations at a working group meeting regarding the European Regional Codex standard for ayran, a traditional Turkish yogurt drink, in order to set ayran standards, to become valid in Russia, the European Union, and other Turkic countries.

The Milk and Milk Products Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission suggested that ayran standards should be implemented in the European region in 2010, said Murat Yörük, the President of the Union of Milk, Meat and Food Producers, or SETBİR.

The meeting of the European Regional Codex standard for Ayran will be held in Istanbul between May 29 and 31.

The result of the meeting will be submitted to the European Codex Coordination Meeting this year. If a positive decision is made during this meeting, the final ayran standards may be enacted at the Codex Alimentarius meeting next year, Yörük said.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization to develop food standards, guidelines and as codes of practice.