Vegan Food Labels in Turkey: The New Rules

Published: 10 October 2026

Short answer: In Turkey, the rules for vegan and vegetarian food labels are in section 12 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s food labelling guideline. Since a 2024 amendment to the labelling regulation, food businesses have been legally required to follow it. A vegan product may say “Suitable for vegans”, and in addition “Plant-based” or “Contains no animal ingredients”. It may be called a burger, sausage or meatball alongside a word such as “vegan”. It may not use dairy or meat product names: soy, oat or almond drinks cannot be called “milk”, and phrases such as “tastes like chicken” are not allowed. Products that do not meet the guideline’s new provisions can no longer be sold after 31 December 2026.

Which document sets the rules

Three texts matter, and only one of them mentions vegans.

The regulation. The Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Labelling and Consumer Information was published in the Official Gazette on 26 January 2017. The word “vegan” does not appear in its current consolidated text.
The 2024 amendment. An amendment published on 6 April 2024 (Official Gazette no. 32512) added a sentence to Article 48: food businesses must also comply with the provisions of guidelines prepared under the regulation. It also set a deadline: foods that do not meet the amended rules can no longer be sold after 31 December 2026, and this applies to imported foods as well.
The guideline. The Ministry’s General Directorate of Food and Control first published the current labelling guideline on 26 November 2024, replacing a 2021 guideline, and revised it on 21 June 2025 and 10 March 2026. Section 12, “Use of the terms vegan and vegetarian”, holds the rules for plant-based foods. Food businesses must comply with the guideline’s new provisions by 31 December 2026 (item 46).

The guideline opens section 12 with its reasoning: because a vegetarian or vegan diet is something adults should decide on of their own free will, these foods may not be advertised, presented or placed on the market in a way that promotes them by presenting them as substitutes for animal foods. The same paragraph adds that vegan products made entirely from plant ingredients, without milk or milk components, may be produced as long as their brand, name and images do not create the impression of cheese. Plant-based cheese alternatives are allowed; calling them or picturing them as cheese is not.

What a vegan label may say

“Suitable for vegetarians/vegans.” This and similar statements may be used. In addition, “Plant”, “Plant-based” or “Contains no animal ingredients” may be added (12.1).
Burger, sausage, meatball. Alongside “plant-based”, “vegan” or “vegetarian”, names such as köfte (meatball), sausage, salami, nugget, burger and ızgara (grill) may be used, and the product may be shown in its own shape, for example as a burger or a nugget (12.7).
“… flavoured”, with limits. If a vegan product contains a flavouring named after a food whose name it may not otherwise use, “… flavoured” may appear next to the food’s name, no larger than the name, in the same colour and typeface and contrasting with the background. No image of the flavour is allowed. The guideline’s own example: “Cheese Flavoured Vegan Cracker” or “Cheese Flavoured Cracker” is acceptable; “Vegan Cheese Flavoured Cracker” is not (12.10).

What a vegan label must do

Make the statement visible when the product resembles meat or dairy. If a vegan or vegetarian food resembles a meat or dairy product in shape or use, the “Suitable for vegans” statement must appear on the front of the pack (the guideline’s “main field of vision”) together with the food’s name and brand. It must contrast with the background, be easy to distinguish and be at least as large as the name of the food (12.1). If the food’s name already says it is for vegans or vegetarians, no extra statement is required (12.2).

What it may not say

Dairy names. The name, brand and label of a vegan food may not use the names of milk and dairy products. Coconut milk is the stated exception (12.5).
“Milk” for plant drinks. Drinks made from soy, oat, almond, hazelnut and similar ingredients may not use the word milk; “drink” is used instead. These drinks may not say “Contains no milk or dairy products”, but may say “Lactose-free” (12.11). On a Turkish label, “almond milk” becomes “almond drink”.
Meat names. Vegetarian and vegan foods may not use the names of meat and meat products (12.6). The words listed in 12.7 (burger, sausage and so on) are the exception.
“Tastes like …”. Phrases such as “tastes like meat”, “chicken taste”, “fish taste” or “tastes like butter” may not be used with the food names the guideline does not allow (12.9). The difference from the permitted “… flavoured” is that the latter describes a flavouring that is actually in the product.
Animal words and images. A vegan label may not use words or images belonging to animal foods, or ones that evoke them; images of the product itself are allowed (12.3). For vegetarian foods, the ban covers red meat, poultry, fish and any animal food the product does not contain (12.4).
Protected names. Registered geographical indications and traditional product names of foods that contain animal ingredients may not be used (12.8).

Traces, allergies and other languages

Traces do not cancel the claim. If animal-derived ingredients are present as unintentional and unavoidable contamination despite good manufacturing practice, the product can still be labelled as a vegan or vegetarian food. A “may contain traces of …” statement for an animal-derived ingredient that causes allergy or intolerance is optional, and may be used only when a comprehensive risk assessment shows that the contamination is unavoidable (12.15). Because the warning is optional, a vegan label is not an allergen guarantee; people with a milk or egg allergy should not rely on it.

Labels in other languages. Information in languages other than Turkish may not contradict these rules (12.12). This also covers an imported product whose label says “oat milk” in English.

Restaurants and cafés

Vegan statements on menus. For unpackaged vegetarian and vegan food served to customers, statements or images such as “Suitable for vegetarians/vegans” are given in an easily visible, clearly legible way on menus, boards, brochures, QR codes or digital screens (12.13).
Products that are plant-based by definition. Where a venue serves products that, by their composition, definition, production method or the relevant legislation, are not expected to contain animal ingredients, it may state “Suitable for vegetarian/vegan consumption” on the menu or somewhere customers can see it (12.14).
Ingredients, energy, and pork-derived ingredients. Since the March 2026 revision, food service businesses must give ingredient and energy information for all the food they serve, not only vegan food, without waiting for customers to ask. Where a dish contains allergens, alcohol or pork-derived ingredients, these must be stated with its name and highlighted. If the information is given by QR code, a visible notice must say that customers without a device can ask for it (41.3–41.5). National chains had to comply by 1 July 2026. Businesses with three or more branches within a single province have until 31 December 2026, and all others have until 31 December 2026 for ingredients and 31 December 2027 for energy (item 47).

What to check on the shelf

Until the end of 2026, you may see both versions. The deadline is for businesses, so some products may carry older wording until then. A product called “milk” this autumn may be called “drink” next year without any change to the recipe.
“Lactose-free” does not mean vegan. The guideline allows it on plant drinks, but lactose-free cow’s milk carries the same claim. Look for “Suitable for vegans” or check the ingredient list.
“Kremsos” does not mean dairy-free. Since the March 2026 revision, a product sold as an alternative to cream may use “krema” (cream) in its name only if it contains milk fat; products made for similar purposes outside the cream regulation may use the coined name “kremsos” instead (22.32–22.33). A kremsos may be entirely vegetable fat (“Bitkisel Yağlı Kremsos”) or may also contain milk fat (“Bitkisel Yağlı, %… Süt Yağlı Kremsos”), so read the full name. When a vegetable-fat-only kremsos is used in a ready-made food, the food’s name must say so, as in “Kremsoslu Mantar Çorbası” (mushroom soup with kremsos) (22.34.1).
“Suitable for vegans” is a statement made by the manufacturer. The guideline sets out how the statement may be worded and displayed; it does not set up a certification scheme. For what certification logos add, see our guide to vegan certification labels.
Read the ingredient list for additives of animal origin. Some additives, such as E120 (carmine) and E904 (shellac), are of animal origin. Our article on animal-derived food additives lists what to look for.
For plant drinks, the name tells you little about nutrition. Whether a drink is fortified with calcium, vitamin B12 or vitamin D is shown in the nutrition table. Our fortified plant drink checklist covers what to check.

Limits of this summary

This article summarises the regulation and the guideline as they stood on 8 October 2026. The Ministry can amend the guideline, and has done so twice since November 2024, so check the current version before relying on any single point. The guideline replaced a 2021 guideline, and these documents do not show which of the vegan rules were already in the earlier text. The article is not legal advice; food businesses should consult the full text and the Ministry about a specific product. How strictly the rules are enforced, and how many products on the market already comply, is not something these documents show.

Sources

Türk Gıda Kodeksi Gıda Etiketleme ve Tüketicileri Bilgilendirme Yönetmeliği. Resmî Gazete 26.01.2017, sayı 29960 (mükerrer); amended by Resmî Gazete 06.04.2024, sayı 32512.
Türk Gıda Kodeksi Gıda Etiketleme ve Tüketicileri Bilgilendirme Yönetmeliği Kılavuzu. T.C. Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı, Gıda ve Kontrol Genel Müdürlüğü. First published 26.11.2024; Revision 002, 10.03.2026.

Editor: Anıl Güler, Pharmacist
Last reviewed: 8 October 2026