Evaluation of practices related to counterfeit and adulterated food in Turkey: An example of Ankara province

This study aims to analyze food adulteration and counterfeiting practices in Turkey's food sector from both legal and practical perspectives, assess the awareness, attitudes, and behaviors of consumers and food operators, and develop effective policy recommendations in this context. The research includes a detailed examination of legal regulations on food adulteration and counterfeiting, an analysis of the current situation and practices, and an evaluation of the audit activities and public awareness efforts carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF). The main data for the study were collected through surveys conducted with consumers and food operators in Ankara. The districts chosen for the study were determined purposively, with population density being used as the sampling unit. Çankaya and Keçiören, two of the most densely populated districts of Ankara, were purposively selected considering their socioeconomic differences. A simple random sampling method was applied and surveys were conducted with 150 consumers. For food business operators, a proportional sample was selected from enterprises operating in the meat and meat products sector and the milk and dairy products sector, which rank among the top two product groups most frequently subject to public announcements by MAF regarding adulteration and counterfeiting. A total of 40 operators in the dairy sector and 30 in the meat sector in Ankara participated in face-to-face interviews. The results of the study show that 76.0% of consumers believe that food businesses in Turkey do not comply with national and international regulations. Furthermore, 39.3% of consumers think that food products in the market are not sufficiently controlled by the relevant authorities, while 55.4% feel that fines for counterfeiters and adulterators are inadequate. Additionally, 70.0% of consumers believe that the fine of suspending a food business's activities for five to ten years, as stipulated by Law No. 7255, would be effective in preventing food fraud. Among food operators, 45.7% reported partial satisfaction with the inspections, while 64.3% disagreed with the public sharing of business irregularities by MAF. Additionally, 47.1% of food operators were unaware of Law No. 7255, and 54.3% supported the new regulation that imposes fines of 1% of the annual gross revenue for businesses involved in counterfeiting and adulteration. A significant finding of the study is the lack of awareness among food operators about the legal requirements concerning adulteration and counterfeiting. This deficiency is mainly due to the insufficient efforts by relevant authorities to provide necessary training and information.