Product

Bulgur and pulses from Türkiye: what to specify when you source them

Lotvela · Gaziantep · Checked 27 October 2026 · Reviewed by Ömer Faruk Erdoğan

To source bulgur or pulses from Türkiye, state the product and grade, the raw material and where it grew, moisture, foreign-matter and defect limits, the pack, and pre-shipment tests against your market's contaminant limits. Türkiye's Food Codex grades bulgur by sieve and caps its moisture at 13 %; the Codex Alimentarius pulse standard (CXS 171-1989) gives baseline limits for lentils, chickpeas and beans. In the EU, bulgur travels on an A.TR, while pulses need a EUR.1 or an origin declaration to claim a preference.

Gaziantep and the registered bulgur names

Türk Patent registered "Antep Bulguru / Gaziantep Bulguru" as a geographical indication (mahreç işareti), no. 289, in 2017, for the Gaziantep Commodity Exchange. Its file says most Turkish bulgur is made in Gaziantep. The name requires durum wheat processed entirely in the province into angular, yellow grains. "Mardin Bulguru" is a separate designation of origin (menşe adı), no. 463, registered in 2019.

Neither name is protected in the EU: on 27 October 2026, eAmbrosia listed both only as applications (PGI-TR-03259 and PDO-TR-03507).

Bulgur: raw material, process and types

The Turkish Food Codex Bulgur Communiqué (No 2016/49) defines bulgur as wheat that is cleaned, cooked, dried and, if desired, dehulled and cracked. It allows durum, bread, einkorn and emmer wheat; bulgur from red bread wheat is esmer (brown). The Antep file describes cleaning, cooking until the starch gelatinises, hot-air drying, tempering, dehulling, cracking, polishing and sieving.

The Communiqué has four pilavlık (pilaf) grades, from whole-grain tane to fine, and two köftelik (köfte) grades. Bulgur with added cereal products, vegetables, pulses or spices is çeşnili, named with the addition. That covers bulgur with vermicelli (şehriyeli), so state the vermicelli share.

Turkish Food Codex limits for bulgur

For plain bulgur, Annex 1 of the Communiqué sets:

Moisture: at most 13 %.
Foreign matter: at most 0.5 %, of which stones, sand and other inorganic matter 0.1 %.
Defective grains: undercooked white-centred grains and reddish grains at most 1 % each; no spoiled grains.
Ash: at most 2.0 % of dry matter.
Protein: at least 11 % of dry matter, or 10 % for esmer bulgur.

Annex 2 sets granulation by round-hole sieves, by share of mass passing:

Grade	Sieve rule
Tane (whole)	At most 10 % through 2.80 mm
İri pilavlık	At least 80 % through 3.50 mm; at most 10 % through 2.00 mm
Pilavlık	At least 80 % through 3.00 mm; at most 10 % through 1.60 mm
İnce pilavlık	At least 80 % through 2.50 mm; at most 20 % through 1.60 mm
Köftelik	At least 90 % through 2.50 mm
İnce köftelik	At least 80 % through 1.60 mm

Specify colour by reference sample or CIE L*a*b* values.

Where pulses are grown

TEPGE, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's economics institute, gives these 2024 provincial shares from TÜİK data:

Red lentils: Şanlıurfa 43.7 %, Diyarbakır 27.2 % and Batman 8.3 %, in South-eastern Anatolia; 405,000 tonnes in 2024/25.
Chickpeas: Ankara 16.2 %, Yozgat 12.5 % and Konya 8.8 %; 575,000 tonnes.
Dry beans: Konya 19.9 %, Niğde 16.5 % and Nevşehir 16.2 %; 280,000 tonnes.

Specifying pulses

The Codex standard for certain pulses (CXS 171-1989) sets a baseline:

Moisture: at most 15 % for lentils and beans and 14 % for chickpeas for long storage or tropical climates; 2 points less without seed coat, as for split red lentils.
Extraneous matter: at most 1 %, of which mineral matter 0.25 %.
Defects: serious at most 1.0 %; slight at most 7.0 %, including broken pulses up to 3.0 %.
Colour: seeds of a different colour at most 6.0 %; discoloured seeds 3.0 %.

Contaminants and EU border checks

Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets these maximum levels:

Bulgur, as a cereal product: aflatoxin B1 2.0 µg/kg, total aflatoxins 4.0 µg/kg and ochratoxin A 3.0 µg/kg. Deoxynivalenol limits vary by product category; agree one with your laboratory.
Pulses: lead 0.20 mg/kg, cadmium 0.040 mg/kg and, since July 2025, nickel 4.0 mg/kg, or 12 mg/kg for dry beans.

Pesticide residues must meet EU maximum residue levels, with a default of 0.01 mg/kg where none is set.

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, with annexes replaced by Regulation (EU) 2026/1206 from 30 June 2026, sets extra border checks for some goods from Türkiye, including dried figs and pistachios, but not for cereals, bulgur or pulses. Recheck before each contract; Great Britain keeps its own list.

HS codes and origin documents

Bulgur is HS 1904 30. Lentils, including split lentils, are 0713 40, chickpeas 0713 20, and kidney and white beans 0713 33.

Chapter 19 is not on the Annex I list of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, so bulgur is a processed agricultural product inside the EU–Türkiye customs union and travels on an A.TR. Regulation (EC) No 816/2007 opened an annual EU tariff quota for bulgur from Türkiye; ask your customs broker whether it still applies, whether it is open, and what duty applies outside it.

Chapter 7 is on that list, so pulses fall outside the customs union and need a EUR.1 or an origin declaration for a preference. See our export documents guide.

Packaging and storage

State the pack: bulk sacks, such as 25 kg or 50 kg, or retail packs. The Codex pulse standard asks for clean, sturdy, strongly sewn or sealed sacks showing the product name and lot. The Antep file says bulgur should be stored out of direct sunlight at about 20 °C. In the EU, wheat is a cereal containing gluten under the allergen rules of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, so agree how the label declares it; see our private-label guide.

Questions buyers ask

Is Antep bulgur a protected name in the EU?

Not yet. "Antep Bulguru / Gaziantep Bulguru" has been a Turkish geographical indication since 2017, but on 27 October 2026 eAmbrosia showed only an EU PGI application; "Mardin Bulguru" is likewise a PDO application. To use either name, ask the producer to confirm in writing that its bulgur meets the registration.

What is the difference between pilavlık and köftelik bulgur?

Pilavlık is the coarser bulgur for pilaf, in four sizes under Turkish rules, from whole grains to fine. Köftelik is fine bulgur for köfte and kısır, in two sizes. Quote the Turkish grade name and its sieve rule, not just "coarse" or "fine": producers' own names, such as "orta pilavlık", may not match them.

Does bulgur from Türkiye need a EUR.1 or an A.TR?

An A.TR. Bulgur is in chapter 19, which is not on the Treaty's Annex I list of agricultural products, so it moves within the EU–Türkiye customs union as a processed agricultural product. Lentils, chickpeas and beans are in chapter 7, which is on the list, so a preference needs a EUR.1 or an origin declaration.

Are red lentils from Türkiye always grown in Türkiye?

No. Türkiye grows red lentils, mostly in Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır, but TEPGE figures show it also imported 546,000 tonnes in the first ten months of 2024/25, mainly from Canada and Kazakhstan. If origin matters for your label, tariff preference or customers, ask for the crop origin in writing.

What to put in your brief

Item	What to state
Product	Bulgur, lentils, chickpeas or beans; whole, shelled or split
Grade	Turkish bulgur grade and sieve rule; pulse calibre
Raw material and origin	Wheat species; where the crop grew; Antep or Mardin name if needed
Moisture	Maximum percentage
Defects	Foreign matter; broken, defective and discoloured grains
Colour	Reference sample or Lab* values
Contaminants	EU mycotoxin, metal and pesticide limits; pre-shipment analysis
Crop year	New crop or a stated earlier crop
Documents	A.TR or EUR.1, plus your market's certificates
Packing	Sack or retail pack, net weight, labelling, best-before date
Quantity and timing	Volume, shipments, delivery window and port

For the wider steps, read our guide to sourcing food from Türkiye.

Sending a brief to Lotvela

Lotvela is a sourcing intermediary in Gaziantep. Send a brief with the details above, and we approach producers that may 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 at the same rate for every producer, invoices and ships, and money never passes through Lotvela.