Ankara lab leads fight against food fraud with advanced tech
ANKARA
Handling around 1.4 million analyses annually, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry’s Ankara Food Control Laboratory is playing a crucial role in ensuring food safety across Türkiye.
The laboratory processes 100 to 150 samples daily to prevent unfair penalties and ensure consumer safety.
The ministry publishes the results of these food inspections on its new “Food Public Announcement System” to inform the public of non-compliant products.
The ministry shares details on unsafe food products — such as the company name, product name and batch number — that could endanger public health.
Once food inspections are completed, samples are sent to the Food Control Laboratory Directorate for further analysis.
If any non-compliant products are identified, they are removed from the market, and the responsible companies face fines.
Laboratory Director Yusuf Varlık emphasized the precision of the work done at the facility.
“The samples collected by provincial and district agricultural inspectors are brought to the sample acceptance units, where their seal, packaging and temperature are carefully checked,” Varlık said.
“Once carefully verified, the samples are registered in the ministry’s Food Control Laboratory System and then sent to the relevant laboratory with barcodes.”
He further explained the meticulous analysis process, saying: “The first step for each sample is always analysis. After that, the samples are tested using high-tech devices. If a sample fails, it is retested to ensure accuracy.”
Companies have seven days to appeal the findings and request a reanalysis in a different laboratory if needed.
Varlık highlighted the laboratory’s advanced facilities, noting that it spans 23,000 square meters and contains 16 different units.
“This is one of Türkiye’s most advanced laboratories,” he added. “We not only serve domestic needs but also provide analysis services to countries like Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Turkish Cyprus and Poland. We have state-of-the-art equipment, matching the technology available in Europe.”
