Product

Candy, jelly and chewing gum from Türkiye: producers, specifications and rules

Lotvela · Gaziantep · Checked 29 October 2026

Türkiye exported $901.9 million of sugar confectionery without cocoa in 2025: gummies and jellies, hard candy, lollipops, toffee, marshmallow, lokum and chewing gum. The USA, the UK and Iraq were the largest buyers. Gaziantep's share of this product is about a tenth, and most of the largest ranked candy and gum makers produce in Kocaeli, Istanbul, Manisa and İzmir. The one thing to get right is the recipe for your market: the gelling agent and gelatin source, the sweeteners and the colours decide halal status, the label warnings and whether the product may be sold at all.

Türkiye and Gaziantep in numbers

Measure	Figure	Source and period
Türkiye's exports of sugar confectionery without cocoa (HS 1704)	$901.9m, 300,009 tonnes; $923.5m in 2024 and $907.1m in 2023	TÜİK data in Ministry of Trade, Şeker ve Çikolata Mamulleri 2026; 2025
Of which chewing gum (1704.10) and other candy (1704.90)	$60.2m gum; $841.9m other	UN Comtrade, Türkiye as reporter, 2025
Cocoa-free sugar confectionery registered with the south-east exporters' associations (GAİB)	$93.4m, 33,009 tonnes; down 2.7% from $96.0m	GAİB cereals association report, 2025
Same product group, all Turkish exporters' associations	$883.3m; GAİB share 10.6% (computed)	GAİB cereals association report, 2025
Cocoa, chocolate and confectionery makers in Gaziantep (NACE 10.82)	69 firms, 4,565 workers; third in Türkiye after Istanbul and Karaman	TOBB industry database 2025, in Akpirinç and Sandal (2025)

Where Türkiye's candy goes

Market	2025 exports, HS 1704	Share (computed)
USA	$191.9m	21.3%
United Kingdom	$92.2m	10.2%
Iraq	$68.1m	7.5%
Germany	$33.9m	3.8%
Russia	$29.5m	3.3%
South Africa	$27.5m	3.1%
Netherlands	$27.3m	3.0%
South Korea	$25.1m	2.8%
Saudi Arabia	$22.9m	2.5%
Syria	$18.6m	2.1%

Source: UN Comtrade, Türkiye's reported exports of HS 1704 by partner, 2025 ($902.1m in total). Chewing gum alone went mainly to Iraq, Russia, Germany, Syria and the Netherlands.

Gaziantep: about a tenth of Türkiye

Gaziantep is not Türkiye's candy centre. GAİB registrations, which cover the south-eastern provinces led by Gaziantep, were 10.6% of Türkiye's cocoa-free confectionery in 2025 (computed). The city's confectionery industry leans to chocolate, biscuits and wafers; see Turkish chocolate, biscuits and wafers. The 69 firms counted under NACE 10.82 include chocolate makers, and no official source splits Gaziantep's candy exports by product or destination.

Food plants sit mainly in the Gaziantep (Başpınar) Organised Industrial Zone, which had 164 food facilities in 2025, and in Nizip OSB, where food makes up 60% of facilities (Akpirinç and Sandal, 2025). For the city's other industries, see what Gaziantep makes.

Large producers

The largest sugar-confectionery makers in Türkiye's 2025 official rankings include the firms below. The İSO lists rank industrial companies by sales from production; TİM ranks exporters by the firm's registered province. Where each one produces comes from its own website.

Company (as listed)	Ranking, 2025	Where it produces	Main lines (company website)
Kent Gıda Maddeleri San. ve Tic. A.Ş. (Mondelez)	İSO 500: 222	Mondelez's Gebze plant, Kocaeli	Chewing gum, candy, jelly candy and chocolate on over 60 lines
Elvan Gıda San. ve Tic. A.Ş.	İSO 500: 272	Istanbul (Yenibosna), Eskişehir OSB and Sakarya (Arifiye)	Hard candy, jelly candy, chocolate
Kervan Gıda San. ve Tic. A.Ş.	İSO 500: 338	Akhisar (Manisa) and Tire (İzmir), plus Poland and Egypt	Soft candy
Tayaş Gıda San. ve Tic. A.Ş.	İSO second 500: 74; TİM 1000: 427 (37th in the cereals, pulses and oilseeds sector, $74.1m)	Gebze OSB, Kocaeli	Hard candy, toffee, jelly, liquorice, bars, chocolate
Ceremony Gıda San. ve Tic. A.Ş.	İSO second 500: 385; TİM 1000: 617 (54th in the same sector, $53.1m)	Nizip OSB, Gaziantep	Sugar-free strip gum, chewing gum, dragée gum, bubble gum, soft candy, liquorice

Of these, only Ceremony Gıda produces in Gaziantep: its website gives a Nizip OSB address, and it appears on the Nizip OSB directorate's list of food firms. Şölen Çikolata, first in TİM's cereals, pulses and oilseeds sector (74th overall) and 88th in the İSO 500, makes mainly chocolate, in Gaziantep and Silivri (Istanbul). Some large firms ask TİM not to publish their names, so the export list is incomplete.

Product types and what to specify

Type	What it is	What to specify
Gummies and jellies	Sugar and glucose syrup set with gelatin, pectin, starch or gum arabic; usually deposited into starch moulds	Gelling agent and gelatin source, texture, shapes, piece weight, sugar or sour-sugar sanding or oil coating, fruit juice content
Marshmallow	Aerated sugar mass, usually set with gelatin	Gelatin source or a gelatin-free system, density, shape (extruded or deposited), coating
Hard candy and lollipops	Boiled sugar and glucose, or isomalt for sugar-free; filled or unfilled	Sugar or sugar-free base, fillings, stick material, piece weight, individual wrapping
Toffee and chewy candy	Sugar, glucose, fat and often milk	Milk content (an allergen), fat type, filling, wrap
Chewing gum and bubble gum	Gum base with sugar or polyols; sticks, strips, pellets, dragées (coated) or centre-filled	Sugar or sugar-free, sweeteners and polyols by name, coating, flavour duration, pack count

Gelatin, pectin or starch

Gelatin is animal-derived: bovine (cattle) or porcine (pig). Pectin, starch, agar and gum arabic are plant-based and suit vegan and vegetarian claims. For a halal claim, name bovine gelatin with its own halal certificate, or a plant-based gel. If a plant ever handles porcine gelatin, ask how lines are separated and whether a lab test for porcine DNA is part of release.

Sugar-free

Sugar-free gum and candy use polyols (sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, isomalt) with high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame K or sucralose. In the EU, "sugar-free" means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; in the US, less than 0.5 g per serving. Name each sweetener in the brief, because each market sets its own warnings (see Rules by market).

Colours

State "natural colours only" or list the colours allowed. A recipe without Red No. 3, titanium dioxide (E 171) and the six EU warning colours avoids the main colour problems in all four markets covered below.

Shelf life and packaging

Shelf life depends on moisture, packaging and climate; ask for the producer's stability data for your format and the shelf life left on arrival. Common formats are pillow bags and stand-up pouches, jars and tubs, counter display boxes, twist-wrapped or flow-wrapped single pieces, and bulk cartons for repacking. Gum comes in stick packs, blister packs and bottles.

Private label minimums

Minimum orders depend on the line, the wrapper, print plates or film, and whether the recipe is the producer's own or yours. We confirm them per producer and per order; none is fixed in advance. See private label food from Türkiye.

Lokum (Turkish delight)

Lokum is sugar and starch cooked to a soft gel, flavoured with rose, lemon or mastic, or filled with pistachio, hazelnut or walnut, and dusted with starch and sugar or coconut. Specify the nut content and nut origin, the dusting, piece size and the box or bulk tray. The nuts are allergens and must meet EU aflatoxin limits; ask for results on the nut lot used (see Antep pistachio and Turkish hazelnuts). The Gulf standard for soft candy, GSO 1320:2021, names Turkish delight; the UK tariff lists loukhum under 1704 90 99.

Quality and how to check a producer

Certificates. Ask for an FSSC 22000, BRCGS or IFS certificate, check that its scope names the site and the product type, and confirm it in the certification body's database. Ask for the last audit report, not only the certificate.
Halal. The certificate must cover the site and the product, and come from a body your market recognises (see Gulf rules below). Ask for the gelatin supplier's halal certificate too.
Tests on the order. Ask for a certificate of analysis covering the colours used, sweetener and polyol content (it decides the label warnings), glycyrrhizin for liquorice, moisture, microbiology and lead. Have an independent lab in your market test the first lot.
On site. Look at the starch moulding and drying rooms (hygiene, temperature and humidity records), cooking and depositing, wrapping lines and their real formats, metal detection or X-ray, allergen separation for nuts and milk, how sugar-free and halal runs are kept apart, label artwork control and retained samples.

Our guide to checking a Turkish factory covers registers, documents and the visit itself.

Rules by market

European Union

Six colours need a warning. Foods with sunset yellow (E 110), quinoline yellow (E 104), carmoisine (E 122), allura red (E 129), tartrazine (E 102) or ponceau 4R (E 124), the "Southampton" colours, must state "[name or E number of the colour(s)]: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Article 24 and Annex V).
No titanium dioxide. Regulation (EU) 2022/63 removed E 171 as a food additive. Foods made under the old rules could be placed on the market until 7 August 2022. White or opaque coatings on dragée gum and hard candy need another colour.
Sweeteners and polyols. In chewing gum (food category 05.3) and other confectionery (05.2), polyols are authorised only in products with no added sugar or, for some confectionery, energy-reduced (Annex II to Regulation 1333/2008).
Label statements. Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires "with sweetener(s)" or "with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)" next to the name; "contains aspartame (a source of phenylalanine)" or "contains a source of phenylalanine"; and "excessive consumption may produce laxative effects" above 10% added polyols.
Liquorice. Confectionery with glycyrrhizinic acid at 100 mg/kg or more must say "contains liquorice"; at 4 g/kg or more, "contains liquorice – people suffering from hypertension should avoid excessive consumption".
Jelly. Konjac (E 425) may not be used in jelly confectionery, and a list of gelling agents is banned in jelly mini-cups (Annex II, category 05.2).
Claims. "Sugar-free" allows no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; "with no added sugars" allows no added sugars or other food used for sweetness (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006).
Gelatin or milk. Shelf-stable confectionery containing animal products is a composite product. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/630 exempts it from border control post checks if it is securely packaged and meets the entry conditions, but when placed on the market it must be accompanied by the importer's private attestation (applies since 21 April 2021). Ask your importer to confirm the gelatin's origin meets them.

Registration, traceability and the other documents are in our guide to importing food from Türkiye into the EU.

United Kingdom

Great Britain kept the same colour warning (assimilated Regulation 1333/2008, Annex V) and the same sweetener, polyol and liquorice statements (assimilated Regulation 1169/2011, Annex III). Titanium dioxide differs: the Food Standards Agency's list of approved additives, published 25 June 2026 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, still includes E 171, marked as not permitted in Northern Ireland. One E 171-free recipe serves the UK and the EU. See importing food from Türkiye into the UK.

United States

Red No. 3. The FDA revoked the authorisation of FD&C Red No. 3 in food (90 FR 4628, 16 January 2025). Food manufacturers have until 15 January 2027 to reformulate, and imported food must comply. In April 2025 the FDA also asked companies to drop Red No. 3 sooner and said it is working with industry to eliminate six other synthetic dyes (Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and 6, Blue No. 1 and 2, Green No. 3) by the end of 2026.
Colour certification and labelling. Synthetic colours must come from FDA-certified batches (21 CFR parts 74 and 80) and are declared by name, such as "Red 40" or "Blue 1 Lake". Colours exempt from certification may be declared as "color added" or "colored with [name]" (21 CFR 101.22(k)). EU E numbers are not used.
Sugar-free and polyols. "Sugar free" needs less than 0.5 g of sugars per reference amount and per serving (21 CFR 101.60(c)). Food that may lead to eating 50 g of sorbitol a day, or 20 g of mannitol, must state "Excess consumption may have a laxative effect" (21 CFR 184.1835 and 180.25).
Gum base. Chewing gum base may contain only the substances listed in 21 CFR 172.615.
Lead. FDA guidance recommends no more than 0.1 ppm lead in candy likely to be eaten often by small children (November 2006; not binding).

Facility registration, prior notice and the importer's FSVP duties are in our guide to importing food from Türkiye into the US.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Product regulations. Gulf technical regulations cover hard candy (GSO 263:2009, amended 2016), soft candy including toffee, Turkish delight, nougat, fondant, marshmallow and fudge (GSO 1320:2021), jelly candy (GSO 1404:2011) and chewing gum, including bubble gum and sugar-free gum (GSO 709:2016). Ask the producer to confirm compliance with the one that applies.
Labels and dates. Arabic labels under GSO 9:2022 (Amendment 1, 2025); expiry periods under GSO 150-1 and 150-2.
Halal. GSO 2055-1:2015 sets general halal requirements. In the UAE, certificates must come from bodies on the register of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT). In Saudi Arabia, the SFDA's food clearance conditions count certificates for ingredients and additives such as gelatine as halal certificates, ask for proof of any halal logo, and require a halal slaughter certificate for raw gelatine.

Registration in the ZAD and Ghad systems is covered in our guide to importing food from Türkiye into the Gulf.

HS codes and proof of origin

Product	HS subheading	8-digit code (UK tariff)
Chewing gum and bubble gum with sugar	1704.10	1704 10 10 (under 60% sucrose) or 1704 10 90
Gummies, jellies, fruit pastes	1704.90	1704 90 65
Boiled sweets (hard candy), filled or not	1704.90	1704 90 71
Toffees, caramels and similar	1704.90	1704 90 75
Sugar-coated (panned) goods	1704.90	1704 90 61
Compressed tablets	1704.90	1704 90 81
Marshmallow, lokum, halva	1704.90	1704 90 99

Products made with sweeteners instead of sugar may fall outside heading 1704: the US schedule, for example, puts "confectionery (including gum) containing synthetic sweetening agents instead of sugar" under 2106.90.99.85. Candy containing cocoa belongs in heading 1806. Confirm each code with your customs broker.

EU. Sugar confectionery is a processed agricultural product under the EU–Türkiye customs union and travels on an A.TR movement certificate. Decision No 1/95 sets special conditions for these products, so check the duty for your CN code in TARIC, including any agricultural component.
UK. The UK–Türkiye agreement uses neither the A.TR nor the EUR.1. The importer claims the preferential rate with the Turkish exporter's origin declaration on the invoice.
US. Chewing gum is 1704.10.00. Confections ready for consumption, other than candied nuts and cough drops, are 1704.90.35; other sugar confectionery falls under lines tied to dairy and sugar quota notes. Check current additional duties with your broker.

Our guide to food export documents from Türkiye lists every document and who issues it.

Packing, loading and shipping

Heat and humidity. Gummies and gum can stick or sweat in heat and humidity. Agree storage and transport conditions in writing, and whether your route and season need a temperature-controlled container.
Cartons and pallets. Specify units per inner pack, packs per carton, carton strength for stacking, pallet type and height, and the loading plan for your container. Ask for a photo of a loaded pallet from a recent shipment.
Dates and codes. Each carton should show the lot number and the best-before date in the format your market requires.
EU packaging law. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 has applied since 12 August 2026, with many obligations starting later. Ask your EU importer which apply to your pack.

Lead times, prices and container loads are confirmed per producer and per order.

Questions buyers ask

Are there halal gummy manufacturers in Türkiye?

Yes. Several large producers, including Tayaş and Kervan, state halal production on their websites. Halal status depends on the gelatin: bovine gelatin with its own halal certificate, or pectin or starch instead. For the UAE the certifier must be on MoIAT's register; Saudi Arabia's SFDA counts certificates for ingredients such as gelatine. Ask for both the factory's and the gelatin supplier's certificates.

Can I get private label gummies for Europe from Türkiye?

Yes, from producers that run private label; we confirm which do for your volumes. Write the recipe for EU rules: no E 171, no konjac in jellies, the warning if you use any of the six Southampton colours, and the laxative statement above 10% polyols. Gelatin or milk makes the gummy a composite product that needs the importer's private attestation. Goods travel on an A.TR.

Which chewing gum manufacturers are in Turkey?

The largest ranked gum makers in 2025 were Kent Gıda (Mondelez), which makes gum at Gebze in Kocaeli (İSO 500: 222), and Ceremony Gıda in Nizip OSB, Gaziantep (İSO second 500: 385), which lists strip, dragée and bubble gum. Türkiye exported $60.2 million of sugared chewing gum in 2025. Sugar-free gum may be declared under heading 2106 instead.

What is the minimum order for private label candy?

There is no single figure. It depends on the line, the wrapper film and print plates, and whether you use the producer's recipe or your own. We ask each producer for its minimum per product and per order, and the shortlist marks each figure confirmed or not confirmed.

Where can I buy Turkish delight wholesale?

From lokum producers that pack for export, in retail boxes or bulk trays. Specify the flavours, the nut content and origin, the dusting and the piece size, and ask for aflatoxin results on the nut lot. Lokum is classified under 1704.90, and the Gulf standard GSO 1320:2021 covers it.

Is Gaziantep a big candy manufacturing centre?

Not for candy. South-eastern exporters registered $93.4 million of cocoa-free confectionery in 2025, about a tenth of Türkiye's total (computed). Gaziantep is stronger in chocolate, biscuits and wafers. Of the five ranked candy and gum makers above, one, Ceremony Gıda, produces in Gaziantep; we contact producers anywhere in Türkiye that fit your brief.

What to put in your brief

Item	What to state
Product type	Gummies, jelly, marshmallow, hard candy, lollipop, toffee, chewing gum, bubble gum or lokum; sample or reference product if you have one
Recipe	Gelling agent and gelatin source; sugar or sugar-free; sweeteners and polyols; flavours; fruit or nut content
Colours	Natural colours only, or the list allowed; colours to exclude (E 171, Red No. 3, the six warning colours)
Claims	Halal, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free or others, and who must certify them
Format	Shapes, piece weight, coating, wrap (twist, flow or none), pack type and size, units per carton, pallet
Label	Market, languages, who supplies the artwork, brand owner
Certificates and tests	Food safety scheme required, halal body, certificate of analysis contents, third-party testing
Shelf life	Minimum total and remaining shelf life on arrival; storage conditions
Volumes	First order and expected yearly volume per product
Delivery	Destination, Incoterms rule, target delivery date

Sending a brief to Lotvela

Lotvela is a sourcing intermediary based in Gaziantep, one of the cities where these producers operate. Send a brief and we contact and visit the producers that fit it, large or mid-size: we check product fit, a free production window, export record and documents, then send 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.