1 From the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock;  
 
 
TURKISH FOOD CODEX   
COMMUNIQUÉ  ON LOKUM (TURKISH DELIGHT ) 
 (COMMUNIQUÉ  NO: 2013 /Draft ) 
 
 Objective  
 ARTICLE 1-(1) the objective of this Communiqué is to identify the characteristics of 
Lokum for production, prepar ation , process ing, storing and handling and putting onto the 
markets in compliance with  the relevant technical and hygienic conditions.  
 Scope  
 ARTICLE 2-(1) This Communiqué cover s the lokum  referred to the Article -4, of 
which  the definition s are laid out.  
 Legal Base  
 ARTICLE 3-(1) This Communiqué has been established in accordance with the 
Regulation of Turkish Food Codex published on Official Journal  dated 29th December  2011, 
with reiterated  number 28157  3. 
 Definitions  
 ARTICLE 4- (1) Definitions regarded this Communiqué are stated below:  
a) Afyon K aymağı  (Clotted Cream characterized by the Province -Afyon ): refers to the  
Afyon Kaymağı, definition of which is laid out by the Communiqué on Cream and Clotted 
Cream dated 27th September 2003, No. 25242 .  
  
b) Flavoured  Lokum :  refers to the lokum that has been provided as a result of participation 
of technology at required amount into the product, provided that it complies with the 
provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex dated  29th December 2011 and with 
reiterated  no. 28157 3  laying out the flavouring substances and the food components carrying 
the flavouring attribute.  
 
c) Spicy Lokum : refers to the l okum achieved  by adding spicy ingredients to the p lain lokum 
mass.  
 
d) Geographical Indication : refers to designation of origin and geographical indication that 
indicate  product s, identified by its origin ated region,  a special area of which the borders are 
defined, and in special cases its origin country considering its specific  attribute, renown or 
other characteristics .  
  
e) Spicy Ingredients : Spices such as; s esame, pot, grated coconut; resin, cacao, coffee, 
chocolate and similar foodstuffs  and the e dible  parts of the hard -peeled  fruits such as walnut, 
pistachio, peanut, hazelnut; dried fruits, dry and fresh fruit candies ; Kaymak, Afyon K ayma ğı 
and other edible  foodstuffs.   
f) Traditional Product : refers to a product that is produced by using traditional ra w-materials 
or identified with a traditional component or a traditional production -type or that refers to a 
product notably  differentiated  with similar products at the same category as it is passed from 
the same process with such a production type  although it is not based on a directly traditional 
production -type.  
g) Kaymak ( Clotted Cream ): refers to the Kaymak laid out by the Communiqué on  Cream 
and Kaymak .   2 h) Lokum:  refers to the product prepared in accordance with its technique with 
supplementing of  spicy ingredients if necessary to the lokum mass prepared by mixing Sugar, 
starch, citric acid or tartaric acid or potassium  bitartrate.  
 
i) Lokum with Kaymak ( Clotted Creamed Lokum ): refers to the product produced by using 
Kaymak and Afyon Kaymağı laid out by the Regulation on Cream and Kaymak through 
rolling it onto the lokum mass or into the lokum mass after opening of two -sides.  
 
j) Plain Lokum: refers to the l okum, which is exempted from any spicy ingredients , any 
flavouring  substance  or from the components carrying flavouring  substance attribute.  
 
ı) Water : refers to waters  for humane consumption  in compliance  with the Regulation on 
Water  for Humane Consumption published by the Official Journal  dated 17th February 2005, 
No. 25730.  
 
i) Bologna type Lokum: refers to the bar -cop type lokum, which is produced by stringing one 
of dry, dried and hard -peeled  fruits and by sinking those to the hot -plain-lokum mass; and 
which is exempted from flavouring  substances and food components that carries the 
flavouring  substance attribute.  
 
j) Sultan L okum : refers to the Lokum, which is produced by mixing sugar syrup that b lanched 
by saponaria to the plain  lokum mass.  
 
k) Sugar : white sugar in com pliance with the Declaration on Turkish Food Codex  laying out 
Sugar published on Official Journal  dated 23rd August 2006, No. 26268 ( polarization is 
minimum 99,7° Z and crystallized sucros e) 
 
l) Outer Substances : refers to all types of substances including peels and seeds belonging to 
spices except for the ingredients that is used for lokum production and except for those  
allowed  to be used.   
 
Product Specifications  
ARTICLE  5- (1) the specifications of the p roduct  within the scope of this 
Communiqué are as follows:  
a) From the  sensorial perspective, specifications of lokum and lokum types are as follows:   
1) Lokum  gives the flavour  and smell peculiar to its definition and it is not contented by 
outer flavour and s mell. It does not give raw -starch flavour.   
2) Lokum has elastic structure and orally its grain is sensible softly and smooth.  
3) Outer substances are not contended on or inside the l okum .  
4) Except for that of product specification, other materials are not allowed to be used to 
deteriorate the traditional  characterisation of lokum  
b) Chemical specifications laid out by ARTICLE -4 within the scope of this Communiqué 
are in compliance with the chemical spe cifications listed by the Annex -1. 
c) Amount of dry , dried or hard -peel fruits that may be added to the spicy lokum is 
compliance with the Chart laid out by the Annex -2 
d) In case flavouring s and the food components  carrying the flavouring  attribute are 
used within th e same product while producing l okum, a mount of dry, dries and hard -peel 
fruits are in compliance with the Chart given by the Annex -2.  
e) Kaymak amount added to the lokum with kaymak within the scope of this 
Communiqué is compliance with the Chart given by the Annex -3.  3  
   Additives  
ARTICLE  6 – (1) Additive substances that  is planned to be used within the scope of 
this Communiqué is in compliance with the provinces of the Regulation on Turkish Food 
Codex laying out the Articles of Food Additives published on Official Journal dated 29th 
December  2011, with reiterated No. 28157 3.  
 
Flavouring s and food components carrying the flavouring attribu te 
ARTICLE  7 – (1) Flavourings and food components carrying the flavouring attribute 
that are planning to be used within the scope of this Communiqué are in compliance with the 
relevant provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex laying out Flavourings and food 
components carrying the flavouring attribute . 
 
Contaminants  
ARTICLE  8 – (1) Amount of the contaminant products within the scope of this 
Commun iqué is in compliance with the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex laying out the 
Contaminants published on Official Journal dated 29th December 2011, with reiterated No. 
28157 3.  
 
Pesticide Residues  
ARTICLE  9 – (1) Amount of pesticide residues within the sc ope of this Communiqué 
is in compliance with the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex laying out the Maximum 
Residue Limits (MRLs) of Pesticide published on Official Journal dated 29th December 2011, 
with reiterated No. 28157 3.  
 
Hygiene  
ARTICLE  10- (1) Produ cts within the scope of this Communiqué is in compliance 
with the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex laying out the Food Hygiene  published on 
Official Journal dated 17th December 2011, No. 28145 and with the Regulation on Turkish 
Food Codex laying out the Mi crobiological Criteria published on 29th December 2011 with 
reiterated  No. 28157 3.  
 
Packaging  
ARTICLE  11 – (1) Packaging of the products within the scope of this Communiqué  is 
in compliance with the provinces of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex layin g out the 
Materials and Substances contacting with Foods published  on Official Journal dated 29th 
December 2011, with reiterated No. 28157 3.  
 
Labelling  
ARTICLE  12 – (1) Labelling of the products within the scope of this Communiqué is 
in compliance with t he below mentioned provinces as well as that of Regulation  on Turkish 
Food Codex laying out the Labelling.  
           (a) Product name is defined  accompanied by the used spice name for Lokums produced 
with spice additives .  
           (b) Products that ar e known with their regional/ country names may be produced under 
the name of their regions/country provided that they are in compliance with the rights born 
from geographical indications.  
c) Within the scope of this Communiqué, l abels are placed onto t he benches , in which  
the products put onto the market without packaging are being preserved , in accordance with  4 the third, fourth and fifth points of the 13th Articles of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex 
laying out the Labelling .  
d) Within the scope of t his Communiqué, p roduct names and pictures and product 
texts , placed  onto the labels of the products that put onto the market are all consistent with 
each-other in accordance with the 1st point of 6th Article of the Regulation on Turkish Food 
Codex laying out Labelling.  
 
  Trans portation and Storage   
 ARTICLE  13 – (1) Transportation and storage of the products within the scope of this 
Communiqué is in compliance with the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex.  
(2) The products that put onto the markets without doing pre-packaging are maintained 
inside the opening -closing bench cupboards made up from appropriate materials all ow to 
make the product visible and are submit ted to the consumers by using packaging materials 
appropriate to the provisions of the Turkish F ood Codex and the Regulation on Materials and 
Substances that contact with the Food.  
 
          Sampling and Methods of Analysis  
ARTICLE  14 – (1) Sampling and analysing from the products within the scope of this 
Communiqué is in compliance with the follow ing provisions as well as that of Turkish Food 
Codex:  
a) To be constant at the periods of analysing product and evaluation of results, product 
names mentioned on the packaging such as spicy, flavoured , plain  etc. are defined onto the 
labels as well as on sampling record -book.  
b) At sucrose -typed dry substances (% of mass)  for the samples on which total sugar 
analyse will be conducted, fruit and kaymak part s are required to be a part from the lokum 
mass as the first step of sample analysing .  
 
Submission of  Communiqué  to the European Union  
ARTICLE  15 – (1) This Communiqué  has been submitted to the Commission of the 
European Union within the scope of the Regulation on Notifying the Technical Legislation 
and Standards  in between Turkey and the European Union.  
  
Mutual Recognition  
ARTICLE  16 – (1) The provinces of this Communiqué  shall not be used for  the 
products that have  been duly produced in a Member State or that put onto the free -movement 
in a legal way  thereof .  
(2) However the Ministry may adopt the prod uct laid out by the first point of the terms 
and conditions within the framework of the Third Chapter of the Regulation on Mutual 
Recognition at Non -defined Area empowered by the Ministry Council Resolution dated 2nd 
May 2012, No. 2012/3169 and a consequen ce of this, if the protection level is detected to be 
provided at non-equal level, the Ministry may ban the products from putting  them onto the 
markets  or may put forward conditions or may request to withdraw or gather the products 
from the markets.  
Enfor cement  
ARTICLE  17 – (1) Parties  that violate  this Communiqué shall be imposed to 
administrative enforcement in accordance with the relevant Articles of Law on Veterinary 
Services, Plant Health, Food and Stuff dated 11th June 2010, No. 5996.  
 
 
  5 Obligation  for Compliance   
TEMPORARY  ARTICLE  1 – (1) Food operators/ establishments  that activate  within 
the scope of this Communiqué shall be in compliance  with the  provinces of this Communiqué  
until the date of 1st January 2014.  
Execution  
ARTICLE  18 – (1) This Communiqué enters into force on the date of publication.  
Conduce  
ARTICLE  19 – (1) The provinces of this Communiqué  are executed by the Ministry 
of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.  
 
ANNEX -1 
 
CHEMICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF LOKUM (Turkish Delight)  
Total Sugar  (Fruits and kaymak are  spared; 
sucrose type in dry substance minimum for 
mass %) 75 
Moisture  (maximum percentage per mass % ) 16 
Saponaria  / in Sultan Lokum s  
(maximum percentage  per mass  %) 0.1 
 
 
ANNEX -2 
 Dry/Hard -peeled / Dried Fruits  
Spicy Lokums  (per mass % minimum )* 12 
In Bologna type Lokums (per mass 
%minimum ) 18 
 
*Above -values are valid also fort he Sultan Lokums  
 
 
ANNEX -3 
CREAM  (KAYMAK)  RATIO  
Lokum with Kaymak/  
Clotted Creamed Lokum  
    (Minimum  per mass %) Afyon kaymağı  Kaymak   
(Clotted Cream ) 
10 8