Minister Yumaklı makes statement on chicken doner

While recent food poisoning cases, particularly those originating from chicken doner, have caused public concern, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has issued a statement on the matter, both informing citizens and issuing stern warnings to producers. The Ministry stated that the increased sensitivity is gratifying and announced that comprehensive measures have been taken to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı made a statement regarding the health problems and poisoning cases that have emerged concerning chicken doner. In his statement, Yumaklı said:

"We have established a system where our citizens can transparently access the results we obtain in our inspections regarding the sale of food that endangers health. Citizens need to be a part of this process.

There have been poisoning cases, especially involving chicken doner. Sensitivity has formed regarding this and similar issues, which is very gratifying from our perspective. We need to take direct measures to ensure such incidents do not occur.

If doner is offered for sale one day and is left over in the evening, you cannot use it the next day; this is prohibited. The use of different sauces to mask signs of spoilage or to cook it alongside raw meat has emerged. We have tightened our inspections regarding this. I am warning producers about this. When we detect it, we will impose very heavy fines and carry out closure procedures.

We will issue a warning to our local governments through our governorships. We will soon reiterate the notification regarding how food sales and consumption areas at events such as fairs, promotional days, and festivals should be, down to the hygiene and presentation of products.

There will be inspections targeting products sold under labels such as local products, organic products, and ecological products, but which our inspections reveal are not actually so. We will intervene in presentations where we identify that certain sections of shopping malls are allocated to these, but which have no connection to organic production."

News Source: 12punto