Troubled By Disinformation, Food Union Sets Up Expert Center

Dissatisfied by conflicting information being circulated in the media regarding safe nutrition, the Federation of Turkish Food and Drink Industry Associations (TGDF) has kicked off a new project in which academic experts in food safety are just a phone call away for the public.
In a press conference on Thursday, the TGDF announced the newly established “Food Safety Expert Portal” in which 129 academics from 42 universities across the country are categorized according to their expertise. Providing information regarding the experts' primary publications and how they can be contacted, the portal seeks to encourage consumers to properly inform themselves about the safety of food products.
Currently, so-called experts tout certain products as being essential to maintaining a healthy diet, while others warn consumers against them, Ersin Taranoğlu, the secretary-general of the TGDF, stated in his speech, lamenting the spread of misinformation.
The number of experts that discuss issues of food safety in the media is around three to five, and they are often unable to answer questions, Professor Aziz Ekşi, the president of the TGDF's Science Committee, stated, adding that the project will also help create awareness about the existence of academic literature on food safety.
In response to recent media reports, which state that only 10 percent of the Turkish food industry is officially licensed by the government, Ekşi told Today's Zaman that the figure may not reflect reality, and underlined that the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry is entirely responsible.

FURKAN DEMİRDÖVEN / ISTANBUL (Cihan/Today's Zaman)