• ÖZER MATLI: “PRODUCERS WHO DO THEIR JOB RIGHT WILL BE PROTECTED, CONSUMERS WILL BE ACCURATELY INFORMED”
Özer Matlı, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bursa Commodity Exchange (Bursa TB), stated that they welcome the new regulations on food labeling. Matlı said, “This new era, which aims to eliminate information pollution in food labels and provide consumers with the most accurate information, is an important step that protects both public health and producers who do their job properly.”
Özer Matlı, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bursa Commodity Exchange (Bursa TB), evaluated the comprehensive revision in the ‘Turkish Food Codex Food Labeling and Consumer Information Regulation Guideline’ published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Emphasizing that they fully support the Ministry’s vision of access to safe and healthy food, President Matlı stated that the newly implemented practices will strengthen transparency and trust in the sector.
Information pollution is coming to an end with the regulation
Stating that misleading expressions and visuals used on food packaging have been eliminated with the new regulation, President Özer Matlı said, “From now on, setting a 24-hour limit for the use of the term ‘daily’ on labels, banning the use of real fruit images in products that contain flavoring, preventing the misuse of unproven and misleading expressions such as ‘natural’ and ‘authentic’, and removing expressions like ‘freshly squeezed’ on packaged products will ensure that consumers reach the correct product.” Noting that banning the use of the term ‘homemade’ especially in industrial production and preventing business names from being highlighted in a misleading way will eliminate unfair competition, Matlı said, “This will not only protect our citizens but will also create a fair market environment for food operators who produce in accordance with ethical rules and do their job properly.”
A new era of transparency in restaurants and cafes
Drawing attention to the obligation of providing information in mass consumption places, President Matlı stated that citizens have the right to know what they consume not only on market shelves but also in places such as restaurants, cafes, and canteens. Matlı said, “Presenting the components and calorie values of food on menus will raise consumer awareness to the highest level.” Also addressing the social responsibility aspect of the regulation, Matlı stated that banning figures that may affect children's development on packaging is a very appropriate step and said, “We support all kinds of regulations that protect the physical and psychological health of our future generations.”
The foundation of a conscious society: Food literacy
Stating that consumer awareness must also increase for these steps taken by the Ministry to turn into a social gain, Özer Matlı said, “No matter how strong the regulations are, food literacy and the habit of reading labels are the foundation of a conscious society. I would like to thank our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for these steps taken to properly inform our society and to ensure that agricultural trade is carried out on a safe basis. We see safe food supply as a strategic issue and support this vision on every platform.”