From the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock : 
 
 
TURKISH FOOD CODEX  
COMMUNIQUÉ  ON FERMENTED MILK PRODUCTS  
(DRAFT/2015)  
  
    Objective  
  ARTICLE  1 – (1) The objective of this Communiqué is  to determine the product 
specifications  in order to provide the production, preparation, processing, p ackaging , 
conservation, sto rage, trans portation and marketing of fermented milk products in conformity 
with the relevant  technique and hygie nically.  
  Scope  
  ARTICLE  2 – (1) This Communiqué  covers  the fermented milk products, 
concentrated fermented milk products, heat - treated fermented milk products and composite 
milk products which are based on those products.  
  Basis  
  ARTICLE  3 – (1) This Communiqué  has been prepared on the basis of the Turkish 
Food Codex Regulation  published in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and with the third 
repeated numbered 28157.   
  Definitions  
  ARTICLE  4 – (1) The following terms  used in this Communiqué are defined as 
follows:   
a) Ayran: The f ermented milk product prepared by add ing water to yoghurt or  by 
adding Streptococcus thermophilus  and Lactobacillus delbrueckii sub. sp.  Bulgaricus  together 
as a specific starte r culture to milk whose composition has  been  adjusted.  
b) Flavoured  / aromatized fermented milk products: The composite fermented milk 
product which includes ingredients , which are not milk -based , maximum 50% by weight  
(such as sugar and/or sweetener, fruit and vegetable and their juices, puree , pulps of these , 
preparate s and canned foods produced from these, grains, honey, chocolate , nuts, coffee, spice 
and other flavouring  foods who do not cause imitation and adulteration ) and the products 
covered by this Communiqué.  
c) Raw milk: C ow milk, ship milk, water buffalo milk and goat  milk which are 
conformed to the  raw milk definition  set out  in the Specific Hygiene Rules Regulation on  
Animal -Origin Products  published in the Official Gazette dated 27/12/2011 and numbered 
28155.   
ç) Fermented  milk product  heat-treated after fermentation: The milk product whose 
fermentation was stopped with heat - treatment.  
d) Fermented milk - based drinks: Except ayran, the composite milk product including 
water, milk ingredients  such as milk -based by -products (whey, buttermilk etc.) , milk by -
products and the ingredients  not milk based as well as including at least 40% (m/m) 
fermented milk product in its composition .         
  e) Fermente d milk product: The milk product which is f ormed  as a result of reduction 
of pH value with fermentation of milk by appropriate microorganism  in a way which will lead 
coagulation or not  and provides the required  microorganisms in accurate amounts as live and 
active until the end of its shelf life.   
f) Kefir: The f ermented milk product  in which  starter cultures  or kefir grains which 
contain  the strains belonging to yeast types that ferment or not the lactose with various strains 
of Lactobacillus , Leuconostoc , Lactococcus   and Acetobacter  genera during fermentation are 
specifically used.   
g) Kumis : The fermented milk product in which Lactobacillus delbrueckii  sub. sp.  
bulgaricus  and Kluyveromyces marxianus  cultures are  specifically  used during fermentation.   
ğ) Concentrated fermented milk products:  The fermented milk products in which the  
milk prote in rate is increased to at least 5.6% rate after or before fermentation.  
h) Fermented milk products named  with specific microorganism names: fermented 
milk products named  with the name /s of specific microorgan ism/s particular  to the product  
used during  fermenta tion (such as for acidophilus  milk: Lactobacillus asidofilus , for bifidus  
milk:  Bifidobacterium spp )  
ı) Strained yoghurt/ bag yoghurt: The fermented milk product in which  the protein 
content  is adjusted to  at least  8% by mass  by extracting whey of yoghurt  with a technology or 
method  and which contains living and active starter bacterium in its expire  date.  
i) Yogh urt: The set or stirred fermented milk product in which thermophilus  and 
Lactobacillus delbrueckii sub. sp . Bulgaricus  are used together as specific star ter culture 
during fermentation.  
  Raw material and product specifications  
  ARTICLE  5 – (1) Specifications  of fermented milk products within the scope of this 
Communiqué  are given below:  
a) Milk and/or milk products in conformity with the legislation  shall  be used in the 
production of fermented milk products.  
b) In the products covered by this  Communiqué , the drinking water in conformity 
with the legislation  shall be used  during reconstitution and recombination process.  
 c) The p roducts covered by  this Communiqué  shall have specific taste, odour  and    
structure.  
  ç) In the production of the products covered by  this Communiqué , other starter 
cultures and/or by -cultures in addition to starter cultures stated in Article 4  titled 
“Definitions ” of this Communiqué  can be used.  
  d) Gelatine  and farina can be used only in fermented milk products heat-treated after 
fermentation and flavoured/ aromatized fermented milk products.  
  e) Yoghurt and  ayran  shall be complied with the  fat rates indicated  in Annex -1.  
  f) The f ermented milk products sh all contain the specific microorganism as living and 
active until the end of shelf life and in amounts stated in Annex -2.  
  g) The fermente d milk products heat-treated after fermentation which do not provide 
the specific microorganisms in Annex -2 as living, active and in the stated amounts shall not  
be named  with specific product definitions.  
  ğ) In production of fermented milk products , except for the concentrated fermented 
milk products, whey  shall not  be extracted  after fermentation.  
  h) The f ruit rate in fruit yoghurts sh all be at least 6%. However this rate should be at 
least 2% in the fruit and tropic fru it added yoghurts which co ntain  titrable acid in at least 
2.5% rate by weight as citric acid in juice.   
  ı) Ayran can  contain salt at the rate of 0.80% at most.   
  i) Except for milk fat , any fat composition  shall not  be added to the products covered 
by this Communiqué . However, the fermented milk products , in which flavour ing substance 
is used during their production , may contain herbal oil or farina  arising from the flavour ing 
substance used in addition to the milk fat naturally found in their ingredient and in an amount 
proport ional to the used  flavour ing substance.   
 j) Other specifications  belonging to the products covered by  this Communiqué  are given 
in Annex -2. 
 k) Total bacteria number in Heat -Treated F ermented Milk Products can be maximum 
102. 
Food a dditives   
ARTICLE  6-(1) The food additives used in products within the scope of this 
Communiqué  shall be complied with the  provisions of the  Turkish Food Codex Regulation on 
Food Additives published in the Official Gazette dated  30/06/2013 and numbered  28693 .  
Veterin ary drug residues  
ARTICLE  7-(1) The residue amounts of pharmacologic active substances  within the 
scope of this Communiqué  shall be complied with the  provisions of the Turkish Food Codex 
Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Classification and Maximum Residue Limits of 
Pharmacologically Active Substances in Foodstuffs of Animal Origin published in the 
Official Gazette dated 04/05/2012 and numbered 28282 .  
 
Coccidiostat and Histomonostat residues  
ARTICLE  8- (1) The amounts of Coccidiostat and Histomonostat in the products 
covered by  this Communiqué  shall be complied with the  provisions of the Turkish Food 
Codex Regulation on Maximum Levels of Coccidiostats or Histomonostats in Foodstuffs of 
Animal Origin Resulting From the Unavoidable Carry -Over of These Substa nces in Non -
Target Feed published  in the Official Gazette dated 08/02/2015 and numbered 29261 .  
Flavourings  
ARTICLE  9- (1) The flavourings  used in the products covered by  this Communiqué  
shall be complied with the  provisions of  the Turkish Food Code x Regulation on Flavourings  
and Food Ingredients with Flavouring Properties  published in the Official Gazette dated 
29/12/ 2011 and with the third repeated numbered 28157.  In addition to those general rules, in 
the products  covered by  this Communiqué , the milk and milk products flavourings , such as 
ship milk aroma, goat milk aroma and butter aroma , shall not  be used.  
Contaminants  
ARTICLES  10-(1) The c ontaminant levels  in the products covered by  this 
Communiqué  shall be complied with the  provisions of the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on 
Contaminants published in the Official Gazette dated  29/12/2011 dated and with the third 
repeated numbered 28157.  
Pesticide Residues  
ARTICLE  11- (1) The amounts of p esticide residues in  the products covered by this 
Communi qué shall be complied with the provisions of the  Turkish Food Codex Regulation on 
Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides published  in the Official Gazette dated 05/8/2014 and  
with the first repeated numbered  29099 .  
Hygiene  
ARTICLE  12- (1) The products covered by this Communiqué  shall be  produced 
according to the provisions of the Regulation on Special Hygiene Measures f or Animal 
Products, Regulation on F ood Hygiene p ublished  in the Official Gazette dated  17/12/2011 
and numbered  28145 and Tu rkish Food Codex Regulation on Microbiologic Criteria 
published in the Official Gazette dated  29/12/2011 and with the third repeated numbered  
28157 .  
 (2) The p roducts  covered by this Communiqué  which are pre -packaged for direct sale 
shall be  supplied to the market only where the hygiene -related criteria of this Communiqué  
are fulfilled.   
  Packaging  
ARTICLE  13- (1) The p ackages of the products covered by this Communiqué  shall 
be complied with the  provisions of  the Turkish Food Codex Regulati on on Substances and 
Materials in Contact with Food published  in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and  with 
the third repeated numbered  28157 and Regulation on Food Hygiene .  
Labelling  
ARTICLE  14 – (1) The label of the products covered by  this Communiqué  shall be 
complied with the  following  provisions in addition to the provisions of Turkish Food Codex  
Regulation  on Labelling  published in the Official Gazette dated  29/12/2011 dated and with 
the third repeated numbered 28157 . In addition to the se rules:  
  a) The f ermented milk products heat-treated after fermentation  are shall be named as  
“Heat -Treated Fermented Milk  Product”.  
  b) The n ame of the flavouring  substance  added to the flavoured  fermented milk 
products sh all be used with specific product name.  
  c) The n ame of the aromatizing  substance  used in the fermented milk products 
produced only by using aromatizing  substances  shall be used with specific product name.  
  ç) In the products which  sugar and/or sweetener i s used in its production, one of the 
statements : “sugar  added”, “contains sweetener” or  “sweetened” “contains sugar or 
sweetener” of “sugared and sweetened”, also in case  another ingredient  except for those is 
used in order to sweeten, the statement “it is sweetened with…..” , should be on the label in 
the same field of vision with the product name and in readable size.  
  d) Except for the flavoured  fermented milk products, the nutrition sta tements related to  
fat specified  in Turkish Food Codex Regulation  on Labelling  Annex 14 shall not be valid for 
yoghurt and ayran. Yoghurt and ayran sh all be named in terms of fat content according to the 
class ification  in Annex 1.  
  e) “Reduced -fat” or si milar statements can be used for  yoghurts whose m ilk fat 
content is lower than 1. 5 % and ayrans whose m ilk fat content is lower than 0.8%.   
  f) The m ilk fat amount of  the products covered by this Communiqué  shall  be state d as 
the mass or volume percentage  in the sight of the label and in a size and place which can be 
easily seen. 
  g) Protein amounts of products within the content of this Communiqué , should be 
stated as “…%” by weight  in the sight of the label and in a size  and place which can be easily 
seen. 
  ğ) Some processes, such as homogenization, preparation of clotted cream, etc.,  used in 
the production of the products covered by  of this Communiqué  shall be  used with product 
name.  
  h) In the productions covered by  this Communiqué  and in which the milk belon gs to 
an animal kind is used a hundred percent,  the name of the relevant animal species  can be  used 
with the product name.   
   ı) In the fermented milk products heat-treated after fermentation, the gelatine  and 
farina used as processing aid  should be stated in the ingredient  list on the product label.  
   i) In the production of  the products covered by  this Communiqué , in addition  to starter 
cultures stated in A rticle 4 titled “D efinitions ” of this Communiqué , when other starter 
cultur es and/or by -cultures  are used, these shall be  stated in the ingredients list of the label.  
 j) The f ermented milk products registered as geographical indication  shall be  supplied 
to market according to the specifications  stated  in geographical indication registration  
provided that they are not  contrary to the provisions of horizontal food codex.  
k) In case there is not any provision in this Communiqué  and horizontal food codex for 
fermented milk products known with their regional/national names , primarily  the relevant  
national standard  shall be taken into consideration;  in case  there is not any national standard, 
the international standard s shall be  taken into c onsideration . 
Transportation and storage  
ARTICLE  15- (1) During  transportation and storage  of the products covered by this 
Communiqué , the provisions laid down in the S ection on  Transportation and St orage  of Foods 
of the Turkish Food Codex Regulation shall be  followed.  
 (2) The products covered by  this Communi qué shall be  kept below 6oC during  
conservation, transportation and placing on the market .  
Sampling and Analysis  Methods   
ARTICLE  16- (1) Sampling from the products  within the context of this 
Communiqué  and the analysis of these shall be conducted in compliance with the  Turkish 
Food Co dex Regulation.  
Administrative Sanction  
ARTICLE  17 – (1) The a dministrative sanction s shall be  applied against the 
individuals who act contrary to this Communiqué according to the relevant articles of the  
Veterinary Servi ces, Plant Health, Food and Feed Law dated 11/06/2010 and numbered 5996 . 
  Repealed Legislation  
  ARTICLE  17 – (1) By this Communiqué , the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué  on 
Fermented Milks published in the Official Gazette dated  16/2/2009 and numbered 27143 has 
been repealed.   
Conformity Obligation  
PROVISIONAL ARTICLE  1- (1) The f ood operators which operates before the 
publication  date of this Communiqué  shall comply with the  provisions of this Communiqué  
within 1 year from the date of p ublication  of this Communiqué .  
 (2) The food operators which operate  within the context of this Communiqué  shall 
comply with the provisions of the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué  on Raw Milk and Heat -
Treated Drinking Milks taking into force by p ublished  in the Offici al Gazette dated 
14/02/2000 dated and  numbered  23964 until they fulfil the provisions of  this Communiqué .  
 
  Entry into Force  
ARTICLE  18- (1) This Communiqué  shall enter  into force on the date of publication.   
Executi on 
  ARTICLE  19- (1) the provisions of this Communiqué shall be executed by the 
Minis ter of Food, Agriculture and Livestock .  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX –1: Fat Rates for Yoghurt and Ayran  
 Fat Rate   
Whole Yoghurt  milk fat ≥ % 3,8   
Low Fat Yoghurt  % 2  > milk fat  ≥ % 1,5  
Non-fat Yoghurt  milk fat  ≤ % 0,5  
…..% fat yoghurt  Milk fat other than whole, low fat and non -fat yoghurt classes  
 
 Fat Rate  
Whole Ayran  milk fat ≥ % 1,8  
Low Fat Ayran  % 1,2  > milk fat ≥  % 0,8  
Non-fat Ayran  milk fat  ≤ % 0,5  
…….% Fat Ayran  Milk fat other than whole, low fat and non -fat yoghurt classes  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
ANNEX – 2: Product Specifications  
 Fermented 
Milk 
Product  Yoghurt  Ayran  Kefir  Kumis  Strained  
Yoghurt  Concentrated 
Fermented 
Milk Product  Fermented 
Milk -Based 
Drink  
Milk protein*  
(% by Weight)  Minimum 
2,8 Minimum 
3,0 Minimum 
2,0 Minimum 
2,8 Minimum 
1.0 Minimum 8  
 Minimum 5,6  
 Minimum 
1,1 
 
Milk fat  
(% by Weight)  Maximum 
10 Maximum 
15 - Maximum 
10 Maximum 
10 Maximum 
30 Maximum 20  - 
Titratable acidity  
(As lactic acid,  % by Weight)  Minimum 
0,3 Minimum 
0,6 
Maximum 
1,5 Minimum 
0,5 
Maximum 
1,0 Minimum 
0,6 Minimum 
0,7 Minimum 
0,6 
Maximum 
2,0 Minimum 0,6  
Maximum 1,5  Minimum 
0,6 
Maximum 
1,5 
Ethanol  (%  volume/weight)  - - - - Minimum 
0,5 - - - 
Total Specific Microorganism 
(cfu/g)  Minimum 
107 Minimum 
107 Minimum 
106 Minimum 
107 Minimum 
107 Minimum 
107 Minimum 107 Minimum 
107 
Total Added Microorganism 
Stated on Label (cfu/g) **  Minimum 
106 Minimum 
106 Minimum 
106 Minimum 
106 Minimum 
106 Minimum 
106 Minimum 106 Minimum 
106 
Ferments (cfu/g)  - - - Minimum 
104 Minimum 
104    
 
* Milk Protein; Total nitrogen content determined by Kjeldahl method x 6.38  
** Other starter and/or auxiliary cultures added to the starter cultures stated in the article 4 titled definitions of this Communiqué  in the production of 
products covered by this Communiqué .  
In the flavoured  fermented milk products (excluding flavoured  ayran ), the aforementioned criteria must be calculated in proportion to the fermented milk 
product quantity used in the product. However, the milk protein must be minimum 2.8 %.