Dye found in tea

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry shared the results of its latest inspections regarding food safety in a list published on June 1, 2026. According to the ministry's statement, it was revealed that prohibited coloring agents were found in a total of four black tea brands, three of which are new.

As a result of analyses conducted in ministry laboratories, prohibited coloring agents were detected in the "Dimsam" black tea brand belonging to Dimsam Çay Gıda Mehmet Güven, as well as in the "Ayder Timya" and "Çay Zamanı" black tea brands marketed by Zengin Çay Ticaret-Ali Erkan Zengin. The common point of these products is that all of their production addresses are located in the Tekkeköy district of Samsun.

A similar incident occurred approximately three months ago, when the same type of non-compliant dye was detected in "Elmas Gold" brand black tea produced by Tirebolu Çaysan Çay Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., also originating from Tekkeköy. Thus, within a short period, four separate brands from the same district have been included among the non-compliant products announced to the public by the ministry.

On the other hand, these results have brought the inspection issues experienced in tea production in the Tekkeköy district to the agenda. With the increased inspections in recent times, stricter measures are expected to be taken regarding the use of additives in tea.

The black tea brands mentioned in the ministry's announcement on June 1 are listed as follows:

• Dimsam Çay Gıda Mehmet Güven – Dimsam Black Tea
• Zengin Çay Ticaret-Ali Erkan Zengin – Ayder Timya Black Tea
• Zengin Çay Ticaret-Ali Erkan Zengin – Çay Zamanı Black Tea

The other product found to be non-compliant in the previous announcement is:

• Tirebolu Çaysan Çay Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. – Elmas Gold Black Tea