Two young girls enjoy cartons of milk while standing on a street.
Türkiye has introduced new standards for drinking milk, covering fat content, added sugars, flavorings and the use of the term “natural” on labels.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said the changes aim to improve food safety, prevent consumer deception and ensure fair competition.
Under the new rules, drinking milk can only be classified as “full-fat,” “fatty,” “semi-skimmed” or “skimmed,” ending the use of intermediate fat categories. Added sugar is capped at 5 percent by weight, while total sugar may not exceed 9.5 percent. The use of sugar derivatives such as glucose and fructose syrups is also prohibited.
Only natural flavorings may be used in drinking milk, while flavored varieties must contain at least 1 percent flavoring ingredients. The term “natural” may be used only for full-fat and fatty milk containing no additives, flavorings or other added ingredients, and cannot be used for lactose-free or reduced-lactose milk.
Existing food businesses have until March 31, 2027, to comply with the new requirements.
