11.03.2026 15:02
In the Ergene district of Tekirdağ, 2 tons of chopped pistachios intended for baklava production were seized during a search of a minibus stopped on the TEM Highway. Aflatoxin was detected in tons of the product.
The Tekirdağ Highway Gendarmerie Command teams stopped a closed van within the borders of the Ergene district on the TEM Highway and conducted a search. During the search, chopped pistachios used in baklava making were found inside boxes. Teams from the Ergene District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry also arrived at the scene and conducted an inspection. During the inspection, a sample was taken from the pistachios that did not have an invoice or delivery note. As a result of the examination at the Tekirdağ Food Control Laboratory Directorate, aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxin were detected in the pistachios. Approximately 2 tons of product found in the van were seized.
"IT CONTAINS CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES"
Mustafa Süleymanoğlu, the Ergene District Director of Agriculture and Forestry, stated that 2 tons of pistachios were seized thanks to the vigilance of the gendarmerie, saying, "Since these are substances without traceability and without labels, we immediately took our sample. We sent the sample to the laboratory. As a result of the analysis, a carcinogenic substance called aflatoxin was found. Therefore, we will destroy the pistachios containing nearly 2 tons of aflatoxin. The sample taken from multiple packages and the witness sample were sent to the laboratory together, and as a result, since it represented the whole, it was certified as food that is not safe for us. Procedures were carried out for a vehicle full of products, which we call transit. An administrative fine of 250,000 TL was imposed on the owners and the vehicle owner. As a result, the prosecutor's investigation is ongoing," he said.
"AROUND 40 TONS OF BAKLAVA COULD HAVE BEEN PRODUCED"
Süleymanoğlu, stating that the products were seized before being released to the market, said, "When we caught these products, their destination was not clear. They could have been sold at a low price to any business. With this nearly 2 tons of pistachios, around 40 tons of baklava could have been produced. We have prevented the public from consuming 40 tons of baklava containing carcinogenic substances," he said.