Guide

How to source food from Türkiye: a buyer’s checklist

Lotvela · Gaziantep · Checked 26 October 2026

To source food from Türkiye, write a specification first. Then find producers through the exporters' associations, chambers and trade fairs, check every certificate in the scheme owner's own records, test samples in an accredited laboratory, and fix the Incoterms rule, named port, payment terms and document set in the contract before production starts. The main risks are aflatoxin in nuts and dried fruit, labels that break your market's rules, and capacity that does not match what was promised.

The checklist at a glance

Step	What to ask for	How to check
Specification	A written specification signed by both sides	Compare the sample and the first lot against it
Producer	Legal name, address of the production site, food business registration number	Exporters' association, local chamber, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry records
Certificates	Certificate copy showing scope, site and expiry date	The scheme owner's directory or register
Samples	A sample from a production lot, with the lot number	ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory
Contract	Incoterms rule, named port, payment terms, claims procedure	Read against ICC wording before signing
Documents	Draft documents before shipment	Match against the contract and any letter of credit
Capacity	Production schedule for your window; capacity report if available	Site visit or third-party audit

1. Write a specification

A producer can only quote against what you write down. Put the specification in one document that both sides sign and that the contract refers to.

Product: variety, grade, size, colour, moisture, defect tolerances and processing (raw, roasted, salted).
Safety limits: your market's contaminant and residue limits, plus any stricter customer limits.
Packing: inner and outer packs, net weight, pallet type and the load you expect per container.
Labels: language, mandatory text and who supplies artwork. For goods under your own brand, see our private-label guide.
Certificates: the schemes you require, such as BRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000, Halal or organic.
Volume and timing: quantity per shipment, number of shipments and the delivery window.

2. Find producers

Exporters' associations. The Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM) is the umbrella body for 61 exporters' associations across 27 sectors. Regional secretariats such as EİB in İzmir, AKİB in Mersin and GAİB in Gaziantep host food associations for dried fruit; cereals, pulses and oilseeds; fresh fruit and vegetables; and other products. Ask the association for your product for member exporters.
Chambers and commodity exchanges. TOBB is the union of Türkiye's chambers and commodity exchanges. Local chambers know the producers in their area. TOBB also publishes the Trade Registry Gazette, which carries company registry announcements.
Trade fairs. WorldFood Istanbul is an international food fair in Istanbul. Anuga in Cologne and Gulfood in Dubai also draw exporters from many countries. Check each edition's exhibitor list.

Ask every producer for its food business registration or approval number from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The ministry's Güvenilir Gıda site publishes notices of official control findings ("Gıda Kamuoyu Duyurusu"); search it for the producer's name.

3. Check claims and certificates

A certificate copy shows what was true on the day it was issued. Check current status in the scheme's own records, and check that the scope covers your product and the producing site.

BRCGS: search the BRCGS Directory; a free account lets you validate certificates.
IFS Food: IFS says buyers can verify certificates in the IFS Database, which requires a login.
FSSC 22000: the FSSC public register lists current certified organisations and is updated daily.
ISO 22000: search IAF CertSearch, which holds accredited certificates only; if one is missing, ask the certification body. BRCGS, IFS and FSSC 22000 are on GFSI's list of recognised programmes; ISO 22000 on its own is not.
Halal: Türkiye's Halal Accreditation Agency (HAK) accredits halal certification bodies and lists each one as active, suspended or withdrawn. Your market may accept only certain bodies; confirm with your importer.
Organic: Türkiye is not on the EU's list of equivalent countries. Organic products for the EU must be certified by a control body the European Commission recognises, and each consignment needs an electronic certificate of inspection (e-COI) in TRACES, or it is not released at the EU port. US buyers can check an operation in the USDA Organic Integrity Database.

4. Samples and lab tests

Ask for a sample drawn from a production lot, not a selected showroom sample. Record the lot number and keep a sealed counter-sample from the same lot.

Use a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 whose accreditation scope lists the tests you need. Türkiye's accreditation body, TÜRKAK, is a signatory to the European co-operation for Accreditation agreement covering testing. Test what your specification names: mycotoxins, pesticide residues, microbiology, moisture and any allergen claims. Then test the first commercial lot against the approved sample.

5. Contract basics and Incoterms 2020

Incoterms rules allocate delivery, risk and cost. ICC states that they do not deal with title, the specification, payment, remedies for breach, or the law and forum for disputes. Your contract must cover those, plus quantity tolerance, inspection and claims.

Write the rule as ICC recommends, for example "FOB Mersin Incoterms® 2020". Without the year, it can be unclear which version applies.

FOB (named port of shipment): the seller delivers when the goods are on board the vessel you nominate, and risk passes then. You arrange freight and insurance. FOB is for sea and inland waterway transport only; ICC's guidance names FCA as the appropriate rule for containerised goods.
CIF (named port of destination): the seller pays freight and insurance to the destination port, but risk passes to you when the goods are on board at the port of shipment. The seller need only buy minimum cover under Institute Cargo Clauses (C); if you want wider cover, write it in.

Name a specific port. Ambarlı (Istanbul), Kocaeli, Tekirdağ, Mersin and Aliağa (İzmir province) all appeared in Lloyd's List's 2025 top 100 container ports. Ask the producer which port it normally uses.

6. Payment terms

Four methods are common in export trade. Each places risk differently.

Cash in advance: the buyer pays before shipment and carries most of the risk.
Letter of credit: a bank pays when the seller presents documents that comply with the credit's terms. Most are issued subject to ICC's UCP 600. Risk is shared; bank charges are higher.
Documentary collection: banks pass the shipping documents to the buyer against payment or acceptance of a draft, but do not guarantee payment.
Open account: the seller ships and the buyer pays later. It favours the buyer and places the risk on the seller.

Agree the method in the contract before production starts.

7. Shipment documents

A food shipment usually travels with a commercial invoice, a packing list and a bill of lading. Depending on the product and market, it may also need a certificate of origin and health, phytosanitary, organic or Halal certificates. Ask for drafts before loading and check them against the contract, and against the credit if you pay by letter of credit. Our guide to food export documents from Türkiye covers each one.

8. Typical risks

Aflatoxin in nuts and dried fruit

The EU sets maximum aflatoxin levels for nuts and dried fruit in Regulation (EU) 2023/915, with different limits for product to be sorted before sale and product sold directly or used as an ingredient. Under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, whose annexes were last replaced by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1206 from 30 June 2026, dried figs (aflatoxins and ochratoxin A) and pistachios (aflatoxins) from Türkiye are listed in Annex II. Each such consignment must carry an official certificate and the competent authority's sampling and analysis results from an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory. The list is revised regularly; check the current consolidated text. For pistachio specifics, see our Antep pistachio guide.

Label compliance

The label must meet the rules of the market where the food is sold. In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires mandatory information in a language easily understood by consumers where the food is marketed. In the US, FDA rules recognise nine major food allergens; sesame was added from 1 January 2023. Great Britain and the Gulf states have their own labelling rules; confirm them with your importer. Approve final artwork in writing before printing.

Capacity versus promises

A producer may accept an order larger than its free capacity, or count capacity that is already sold. Ask for the production schedule for your window and for a recent capacity report if it has one; TOBB prepares capacity reports at a company's request. Before a large first order, visit the site or commission a third-party audit, and consider smaller shipments with a test of each lot.

Sending a brief to Lotvela

Lotvela is a sourcing intermediary in Gaziantep. Send a brief and we approach producers that fit, check product fit, a free production window, export record and documents, then send you a dated shortlist with every claim marked confirmed or not confirmed. It is free for buyers: the producer pays a commission, invoices and ships the goods, and money never passes through Lotvela.