Classification
Product TypeProcessed Food
Product FormProcessed (Butter / Clarified Butter)
Industry PositionProcessed Dairy Product
Market
In Turkey, butter (tereyağı) and clarified butter/ghee (sadeyağ) are regulated under the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9 published in the Official Gazette on 4 April 2025. The communiqué defines sadeyağ as a milk-fat product with at least 99% milk fat (by weight) after removal of almost all water and non-fat dry matter, and sets compositional limits for salted and unsalted butter. It also imposes product-specific labeling rules (e.g., salt statements and animal-species declarations) and links compliance to broader Turkish Food Codex hygiene, residues, contaminants, and additive frameworks. This is a domestic producer-and-consumer market for dairy fats, with both retail butter and bulk sadeyağ formats used in foodservice and pastry applications.
Market RoleDomestic producer and consumer market (regulated dairy-fat products: butter and clarified butter/ghee)
Domestic RoleRegulated dairy-fat products for household use and food manufacturing/foodservice (including bulk sadeyağ for pastry/desserts).
Market GrowthNot Mentioned
Specification
Physical Attributes- Products must have a characteristic taste, odor, appearance, and structure (as required by the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9).
- Peroxidase test must be negative for products within scope (per the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9).
Compositional Metrics- Sadeyağ: at least 99% milk fat by weight (definition in Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9).
- Unsalted butter (tuz ilave edilmeyen tereyağı): at least 82% milk fat, max 2% non-fat milk dry matter, max 16% water (Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9).
- Salted and/or flavored butter (tuz ilave edilen ve/veya çeşnili tereyağı): at least 80% milk fat, max 2% non-fat milk dry matter, max 16% water; butter may contain up to 2% salt by weight (Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9).
Packaging- Retail butter formats (packaged) and bulk clarified butter/ghee (e.g., 16 kg HoReCa format) are present in the Turkish market.
- Labeling must include the food name in the main field of view; salt statements and animal-species declarations apply in specified cases (Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9).
Supply Chain
Value Chain- Raw milk/cream sourcing (must comply with animal-origin hygiene rules referenced by the communiqué) → cream handling → butter production (churning/working; optional starter culture for typical taste) → clarification step for sadeyağ (removal of water and non-fat dry matter) → packaging → chilled storage/distribution.
Temperature- During transport, storage, and offering to the final consumer, the temperature must be at most 4°C for products covered by Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9.
Shelf Life- Shelf-life is manufacturer- and packaging-dependent; verify by lot-specific label (bulk sadeyağ formats may state long refrigerated shelf-life on pack).
Risks
Food Fraud HighButter (tereyağı) and clarified butter/ghee (sadeyağ) are explicitly referenced in Turkey’s official ‘Taklit veya Tağşiş Yapılan Gıdalar’ public disclosure system; confirmed adulteration or failure to meet compositional limits can trigger enforcement actions, reputational damage, and loss of buyer acceptance.Run pre-shipment/lot-level authenticity and composition testing (milk fat %, moisture/non-fat solids where applicable) against the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9 limits, and implement supplier approval plus traceable lot controls.
Animal Health MediumAs an animal-origin dairy product category, market access and buyer requirements can be sensitive to transboundary animal disease conditions (e.g., foot-and-mouth disease considerations) and related official assurances in certain export/import contexts.Monitor WOAH updates and buyer-country animal-health import conditions; maintain documentation packages aligned to destination requirements and segregate raw-milk sourcing where relevant.
Cold Chain MediumTurkey’s product-specific communiqué requires storage/transport/retail at temperatures not exceeding 4°C for products within scope; temperature excursions increase non-compliance and quality claims risk.Use validated refrigerated logistics with continuous temperature monitoring and keep corrective-action records for any excursion.
Labeling And Marketing MediumTurkey imposes specific label statements (salt declarations; animal-species statements) and restricts misleading visuals/claims that create a butter/sadeyağ perception for out-of-scope products; non-compliant labels can be blocked at listing/inspection and trigger enforcement.Perform a Turkish label legal review against Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9 and the general Turkish Food Codex labeling framework before printing; maintain controlled label versions per SKU.
FAQ
How is sadeyağ (ghee/clarified butter) defined for sale in Turkey?Under the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9, sadeyağ is a milk-fat product obtained from milk and/or dairy products with almost all water and non-fat dry matter removed, and it must contain at least 99% milk fat by weight.
What are the key composition limits for butter sold in Turkey under the current communiqué?The Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9 sets limits including: unsalted butter must contain at least 82% milk fat, at most 2% non-fat milk dry matter, and at most 16% water; salted and/or flavored butter must contain at least 80% milk fat with the same max limits for non-fat milk dry matter (2%) and water (16%).
What specific label statements are required for salted vs. unsalted butter in Turkey?The communiqué requires unsalted butter to state “tuz ilave edilmemiştir” on the label, while salted butter must declare the salt content (as a percentage in the ingredients section) and must also show “tuzlu” or “tuz ilave edilmiştir” in the main field of view.
What temperature rule applies to storage and transport for butter and sadeyağ in Turkey under the communiqué?For products covered by Turkish Food Codex Communiqué No. 2025/9, the temperature during transport, storage, and offering to the final consumer must not exceed 4°C.