A total of 17 tons were seized! The footage that makes you think, "What if they hadn't been caught?"

The teams of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry seized products threatening public health during food inspections in Antalya. The manipulation of the products was shocking. It was observed that businesses disregarding human health had changed the expiration dates on their products.

THOUSANDS OF ROTTEN IMPORTED CHOCOLATES, BISCUITS, ENERGY DRINKS

In a warehouse rented by individuals named A.S. and B.D. in the Çamköy neighborhood of Aksu district, inspections and controls were carried out by food control officers from the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry. During the inspections conducted by the teams, a total of 65,662 food products, including mainly imported chocolates, biscuits, energy drinks, sliced pineapple canned goods, and pink ginger pickles, were found to have expired expiration dates/recommended consumption dates.

THEY MANIPULATED DATES ON PRODUCT PACKAGING

During the inspections, it was determined that the old S.T.T./T.E.T.T. information on the product packaging, which was wiped with cellulose thinner inside the business, was changed using an inkjet coding machine. Additionally, it was found that the S.T.T. and T.E.T.T. information, which generally was 2023, was recoded as 2025, and some products that had completed the coding process were made ready for sale, while many products were in the process of having their S.T.T. and T.E.T.T. information erased. In an examination of the label of the imported products, sliced pineapple canned goods, and pink ginger pickles, it was found that they were produced by a company that had a permit to operate for non-alcoholic beverage production according to the records of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

On the other hand, it was determined that the mentioned company did not have a registration in the food safety information system for producing fermented brine products and fruit and vegetable processing activities, and no information could be obtained regarding the production location of the mentioned products. In the business where the teams conducted inspections, it was also found that S.T.T./T.E.T.T. information had been recoded and Russian labels were affixed to products that had been packaged and made ready for sale.

A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED

This operation was assessed as being aimed at exporting the products after coding on the labels. The food items seized in the business, where it was determined that many products had been damaged by rodents, were placed under protection. Additionally, a criminal complaint was filed with the Public Prosecutor's Office against those responsible for offering food unfit for consumption to the market under the crimes against public health. Furthermore, due to their activities contrary to the hygiene principles determined by the Ministry, fines were imposed on the responsible parties under Article 41(a) of Law No. 5996 in the amount of 29,234 TL, and a fine of 14,595 TL was imposed on the business operating without registration with the Ministry under Article 41(c) of the same law, and again a fine of 14,595 TL was imposed on the business selling expired products under Article 41(d) of the same law.

17 TONS OF ROTTEN CHICKEN PRODUCTS

Additionally, in a warehouse belonging to a business in the Altınova/Sinan neighborhood of Kepez district, inspections and controls conducted by food control officers from the provincial and district directorates revealed that chicken processing activities were being carried out without approval from the ministry. During the inspection, 17 tons of expired, rotten, spoiled chicken, ground chicken, and bone pieces without brand and batch numbers were found in a warehouse that did not meet hygiene conditions. A mechanical meat grinder, cutting tables, and a meat tambour machine were found in the business, where a large quantity of ground chicken was also seized. Based on this, it was evaluated that the expired chickens were ground in the mentioned business and reintroduced to the market, and all products in the workplace were destroyed. Administrative sanctions were also imposed on the mentioned business under Law No. 5996.