03.05.2026 15:41
In the imitation and adulteration list published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, poultry meat and gizzard were detected in the meatballs sold at the butcher counter of Onur Market, which has 156 branches. The list also revealed fraud in sausages, roasted meat, and other products at 55 establishments. Market officials stated that the product was prepared at the branch, not at the headquarters. The incident has brought food safety discussions back to the agenda.
In the imitation and adulteration list shared with the public by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on February 17, 2026, an irregularity was detected in the red meat meatballs sold at the butcher counter of Onur Market, which has 156 branches. As a result of ministry inspections, it was determined that the meatball product contained poultry meat and gizzard.
55 BUSINESSES INCLUDED IN THE LIST
In the list, which includes a total of 55 businesses that violated food safety, it was revealed that not only meatballs but also many basic products such as sausage, roasted meat, honey, and olive oil were adulterated.
OFFAL IN ROASTED MEAT
Within the scope of inspections, mechanically separated poultry meat and food coloring were detected in 8 different sausage brands. While food coloring was found in sausages from Aksaray-based Aksamet Meat Products, it was reported that heart was used as offal in the roasted meat product of Erzurum Karakoçlar Meat Products. The ministry continues to announce producers and businesses that resort to food fraud to the public through these lists published at regular intervals.
STATEMENT FROM ONUR MARKET
Making a statement on the issue, Onur Market officials stated that the product found to be non-compliant was not prepared at the company's central meat production facilities. Officials indicated that the product was prepared by the butcher counter staff at the Eyüpsultan branch, and stated that the relevant staff had been warned and necessary administrative procedures had been initiated.
The chain, which is a member of the Istanbul Retailers Association (PERDER), is among the brands that fix meat prices within the scope of the protocol it signed with the Meat and Milk Institution. While the company states on its official website that products are prepared under the supervision of a veterinarian and under high hygiene standards, it emphasizes that all production processes are carried out meticulously.
CONTROVERSIES INTENSIFY
However, this situation, which emerged in branch-based inspections, resonated widely in the public and brought discussions on food safety back to the agenda.