Fake honey and olive oil exposed! Ministry announces 37 fraudulent products

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has completed the latest round of its regular inspections and published a new imitation-adulteration list on May 5, 2025. A total of 37 fake products were found, with a focus on the honey and olive oil categories.

GLUCOSE SYRUP IN HONEY

It was determined that numerous brands belonging to the Ankara Akyurt-based company Vahit Yıldız Balsu contained glucose syrup under the name of strained flower honey. These brands include “Haskaymak”, “Erzincan Birlik Bal”, “Pervari Sepeti”, “Köseoğlu Bal”, “Arıcızade”, “Abalı”, and “Vitamel”.

Additionally, similar adulteration was detected in the flower honey of the company named Öztürk Gıda, which operates in Köşk, Aydın.

SEED OIL SCANDAL IN OLIVE OIL

One of the most notable forms of fraud was the mixing of seed oils, such as canola and cottonseed oil, into products sold with extra virgin olive oil labels.

The main companies involved in these fraudulent products are:

Özdeğirmenciler Gıda (Gaziemir, İzmir)

Zeynare Gıda (Efeler, Aydın)

SSC Grup (Selçuk, İzmir)

Hilal Hayvansal Ürünler (Bayındır, İzmir)

Nurettin Kemer - Ege Tadım and Tuncay Eroğlu (Köşk, Aydın)

It was reported that not only seed oil but also lower-quality oil mixtures were used in the olive oil products.