Labeling on Organic Products: What Consumers Need to Know

One of the most important aspects consumers should pay attention to when purchasing organic products is the labels. In Türkiye, all stages from the production to the marketing of organic products are regulated by the Regulation on the Principles and Implementation of Organic Farming No. 27676 (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation). In this article, we have summarized only the labeling rules that are valid within the scope of this Regulation.

What Is an Organic Product Label?

According to the Regulation, an organic product label is any written or printed information, brand, symbol, or sign on the product or its packaging that introduces the product or specifies its content. In short, the most reliable way to understand whether a product is truly organic is to look at its label.

Products in Conversion

Products of producers who start organic farming are not immediately considered “organic.” There is a certain conversion period. In plant production, this period is at least 12 months. Products obtained during this period are sold with the label “Product in the Organic Farming Conversion Period.” However, this expression cannot be used for animal products, and statements suggesting organic cannot be included.

Labeling of Plant-Origin Products in the Conversion Period

• The label must contain the statement “Product in the Organic Farming Conversion Period.”

• The words “organic” and “conversion period” must be in the same color, font size, and typeface.

• The organic product logo is not used on these products.

• The name, logo, code number of the authorized body and the operator or product certificate number must be present on the label.

• The final product content must contain only one agricultural-origin product.

Labeling of Organic Products

Different rules apply to products that are entirely organic:

• The owner of the product (operator) is indicated.

• For organic products produced in Türkiye, the organic product logo set out in the annex to the Regulation is included.

• The name, logo, code number of the authorized body, and the operator or product certificate number are included on the label.

• The product label must contain the word “Organic.”

• It is stated that it was produced in accordance with the TR Organic Farming Regulation No. 27676; for imported products, it is stated that compliance with this Regulation has been checked and the product has been re-certified.

• For non-organic products, expressions such as bio, biyo, eco, eko, org cannot be used as a prefix, suffix, or on their own in a way that may mislead consumers. This also applies to imported products.

Labeling of Processed Organic Products

• For a processed product to be considered organic, at least 95% of the agricultural-origin ingredients in its content must be organic.

• If organic grapes are used in wine, the label bears the statement “Wine Produced from Organic Grapes.”

• Organic content and conventional content cannot coexist in the same product.

• Yeast and yeast products are counted as agricultural-origin ingredients.

• When determining whether a product is mainly produced from agricultural-origin ingredients, added water and salt should not be taken into account.

• On the condition that at least 95% of its weight is organic, the food additives marked with (*) above the code number column in Part 1 of Annex 8 of the Regulation are included in the calculations as agricultural-origin food inputs.

• If a product produced by conventional methods contains an item produced by the organic farming method, it is expressed as “Produced by Organic Farming Method” together with “% X” rates, and this expression appears in the same color, font size, and typeface as other items in the ingredients section. The organic product logo is not used on these products.

• Other agricultural-origin substances in the product that are not produced organically must be included in Part 1 of Annex 9 of the Regulation.

• If the product requires the use of non-agricultural-origin food substances, it may contain only the food additives—including carriers—listed in Part 1 of Annex 8 of the Regulation.

• If agricultural-origin products or their derivatives need to undergo processing, such processing must be carried out with the products listed in Part 2 of Annex 8 of the Regulation.

Information That Must Appear on the Label

• On the label of prepackaged food and feed, the organic product logo specified in Annex 10 and the code number given to the authorized body by the Ministry are present.

• For imported products that are not produced in accordance with this Regulation and are not re-certified, the organic product logo specified in Annex 10 cannot be used.

• If a product has been produced within the scope of organic production both in Türkiye and in another country, the organic product logo specified in Annex 10 of the Regulation is used, provided that the origin of the raw material is indicated on the label.

• If all agricultural raw materials have been produced and certified in another country, the organic product logo specified in Annex 10 of the Regulation is used after processing in Türkiye.

According to Article 29 of the TR Organic Farming Regulation No. 27676; in the labeling of organic and conversion-period products, the provisions of the Turkish Food Codex Labeling Regulation published in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and numbered 28157 (3rd repeated issue), as well as the provisions in the relevant legislation of the Ministry, must also be followed. Article 8 of the Turkish Food Codex Labeling Regulation mentioned above defines the mandatory label information as follows:

a) Name of the food,

b) List of ingredients,

c) Allergen ingredients or allergenic processing aids specified in Article 21,

ç) The quantity of ingredients or categories of ingredients specified in Article 22,

d) Net quantity of the food,

e) Best-before date or, for foods that are microbiologically highly perishable, the use-by date,

f) Special storage conditions and/or conditions of use,

g) The name or business name and address of the producer or packer or importer or distributor,

ğ) The establishment registration number of the producer or packer subject to registration,

h) Country of origin,

ı) Instructions for use of the food if, in the absence of such information, appropriate consumption of the food is not possible,

i) In beverages containing more than 1.2% alcohol by volume, the actual alcoholic strength by volume.

The featured image of our article contains the information that must be present on the label of organic and conversion-period products in accordance with the TR Organic Farming Regulation No. 27676 and the provisions of the Turkish Food Codex Labeling Regulation mentioned above.

Practical Tips for Consumers

• Pay attention to the logo: Do not consider products without the organic product logo determined by the T.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as “organic.”

• Check the certificate information: The label must include the name, code, and operator or product certificate number of the authorized body.

• Avoid suspicious expressions: Phrases such as “natural,” “village product,” “hormone-free” do not by themselves mean organic.

• Extra caution with imported products: Imported products that have not been re-certified cannot bear the organic product logo.

• Don’t be swayed by packaging design: For non-organic products, the label and packaging cannot be designed to evoke organic products.

Conclusion

When shopping for organic products, the label is the most important source of assurance for the consumer. In Türkiye, the labeling of organic products is bound by clear rules under the Regulation No. 27676. Thanks to these rules, both producers are protected from unfair competition and consumers gain access to truly organic products.