03.07.2026 10:01
Ekleristan, which once grew at an incredible pace to reach 425 branches across Turkey, is now in the spotlight with a food scandal following the shock of its bankruptcy in April. It was revealed that the brand, included in the latest adulteration list published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, used sunflower seeds in products it sold as 'pistachio'.
The waters are not calming down on the front of Ekleristan, a dessert chain that launched during the pandemic and quickly spread across all of Turkey. Having raised the white flag of bankruptcy months ago due to an inability to overcome financial difficulties, the company has now caused great disappointment among consumers by being included on the list of imitation and adulteration shared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with the public on July 2, 2026.
INSTEAD OF PISTACHIOS, THEY FED SUNFLOWER SEEDS
Analyses conducted on the 'Antep pistachio éclair' product, produced by İflas Hal. Cevizden Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti. operating in the Nilüfer district of Bursa and sold under the Ekleristan brand with a production date of February 11, 2026, revealed the presence of sunflower seeds. The audit report stated that sunflower seeds, a lower-cost ingredient, were used instead of the Antep pistachios declared to the consumer in the product's content.
BANKRUPTCY DECISION ANNOUNCED AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL
The brand, now remembered for its adulteration scandal, was actually attracting attention with its rapid growth story until very recently. Starting its journey with just three branches in Bursa, Ekleristan continued its growth with an aggressive franchise model, announcing that it had reached fifty branches within a year and a total of 425 branches across fifty-two provinces at its peak.
However, this uncontrolled growth brought serious financial crises. Following the bottleneck, the Bursa 1st Commercial Court of First Instance rejected the concordato (composition with creditors) requests of Ekleristan Gıda, Cevizden Gıda, and Snowland Taşımacılık companies, ruling their bankruptcy as of April 1, 2026. The simple liquidation process decision for the companies was also published in the Trade Registry Gazette and came into effect.