Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock: TURKISH FOOD CODEX TAHINI HALVA COMMUNIQUE (Communique No: Draft ) CHAPTER ONE Subject Matter, Scope, Legal Basis, Definitions Subject Matter ARTICLE 1 – (1) The subject matter of this communique is to determine the specifications required for the production, preparation, processing, preservation, storage, transportation and marketing stages of the tahini halva with proper techniques and in a hygienic manner. Scope ARTICLE 2 – (1) This Communique covers the tahini halva. Legal Basis ARTICLE 3 – (1) This communique has been prepared based on the Regulation of Turkish Food Codex published in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and numbered 28157 (3rd repeated). Definitions ARTICLE 4 – (1) For the purposes of this Communique, the following definitions apply; a) Condiment materials: means the edible parts of nuts such as pistachios and hazelnuts and also gum mastic, cocoa and other suitable foodstuffs used for seasoning purposes, b) Flavoured tahini halva: means the product obtained by the addition of condiment materials to the tahini halva with the appropriate technique, c) Soapwort extract: means the product obtained by cutting the root of the soapwort plant (Radix saponariae Albae sive L.) into small pieces and boiling it in the water, ç) Modified protein: means the egg whites and casein proteins put in the tahini halva with the purposes of foam formation and bleaching, d) Plain tahini halva: means the tahini halva that does not contain the condiment materials and flavorant food ingredients having the feature of giving aroma except for the vanilla, vanillin and ethyl vanillin flavor which are flavorant food ingredients having the feature of giving aroma, e) Water: means the water intended for human consumption in accordance with the specifications contained in the Regulation Concerning Water İntended for Human Consumption published in the Official Gazette dated 17/02/2005 and numbered 25730, f) Sugar: means the products according to Turkish Food Codex Sugar Communiqué published in the Official Gazette dated 23/08/2006 and numbered 26268, g) Tahini: means the tahini according to Turkish Food Codex Tahini Communiqué published in the Official Gazette dated …………………….. and numbered ………….., ğ) Tahini halva: means the product which is solid, homogeneous and in the structure of thin fibrous, which is obtained by cooking after adding sugar, water and citric acid or tartaric acid and, when necessary, edible glucose syrup, and which is prepared according to the relevant technique by mixing and kneading the sugar syrup with tahini with proper techniques after making viscous and bleaching the sugar syrup with the soapwort extract (Radix saponariae Albae sive L.) and/or modified proteins and, when necessary, with the addition of condiment materials, h) Foreign material: means all kinds of materials including shells and seeds of condiment materials except for the materials used in the production of tahini halva or allowed to be put in the tahini halva. CHAPTER TWO General Provisions Product features ARTICLE 5 – (1) The features of the products covered in this Communique are given below. a) Tahini halva has its own unique color, taste and odor, it does not contain foreign taste and smell. b) Tahini halva does not contain foreign materials. c) Tahini halva has its own unique homogeneous and thin fibrous structure and sugar should not crystallize. ç) In terms of the condiment materials used in the tahini halva, the edible parts of dried fruits and nuts are put as a whole or in pieces that can be extracted, and the ratio of the condiment materials in the net mass of the product is at least 8%. d) The condiment material used in the flavoured tahini halva can not be used in conjunction with the natural flavorant. e) Other product features of tahini halva are given in ANNEX-1. Additive substances ARTICLE 6 – (1) Additive substances used in the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex, Food Additives published in the Official Gazette dated 30/06/2013 and numbered 28693. On the other hand, the colorant can not be used in these products. The food ingredients which are flavorant and have the feature of giving aroma ARTICLE 7 – (1) The food ingredients which are flavorant and have the feature of giving aroma to be used in the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex, The Food Ingredients Flavorant and Having the Feature of Giving Aroma published in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and numbered 28157 (3rd repeated). (2) As the food ingredients which are flavorant and have the feature of giving aroma used in the products within the scope of this Communique, just vanilla, vanillin, ethyl vanillin and natural flavorants are used. Contaminants ARTICLE 8 – (1) The amounts of the contaminants to be allowed in the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the Turkish Food Codex Contaminants Regulation published in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and numbered 28157 (3rd repeated). In addition to said provisions, the amounts of arsenic, lead, copper, iron and tin must be as follows. Arsenic (As) (maximum, mg/kg) 0.2 Lead (Pb) (maximum, mg/kg) 0.3 Copper (Cu) (maximum, mg/kg) 10 Iron (Fe) (maximum, mg/kg) 40 Tin (Sn) (maximum, mg/kg) 200 Pesticide residues ARTICLE 9 – (1) The amounts of the pesticide residues to be allowed in the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex, Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides published in the Official Gazette dated 25/08/2014 and numbered 29099 (1st repeated). Veterinary drug residues ARTICLE 10 – (1) The amounts of the veterinary drug residues to be allowed in the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex, Classification of Pharmacologically Active Substances That May Be Present in the Food of Animal Origin and Maximum Residue Limits published in the Official Gazette dated 04/05/2012 and numbered 28282. Hygiene ARTICLE 11 – (1) The products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Food Hygiene published in the Official Gazette dated 17/12/2011 and numbered 28145, and also in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex, Microbiological Criteria published in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and numbered 28157 (3rd repeated). Packaging ARTICLE 12 – (1) The packaging of the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex, Substances and Materials Contacting Food published in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and numbered 28157 (3rd repeated). Labelling ARTICLE 13 – (1) The labels of the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of Turkish Food Codex, Labelling Regulation published in the Official Gazette dated 29/12/2011 and numbered 28157 (3rd repeated) and also the following provisions. a) Plain tahini halva may be also called the tahini halva. b) In flavoured tahini halvas, the condiment materials are written in the same font size with the product name. c) The tahini halva containing the food ingredients which are flavorant and have the feature of giving aroma is called “……………. flavoured tahini halva” and the “flavoured” statement is written in the same font size with the product name. Transportation and storage ARTICLE 14 – (1) Transportation and storage of the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the section of Transportation and Storage of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex. Sampling and analysis methods ARTICLE 15 – (1) Sampling procedures of the products within the scope of this Communique would be in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Turkish Food Codex and also nationally or internationally recognized analysis methods are applied. On the other hand, in the analysis of flavoured tahini halvas, an evaluation is carried out based on the net mass of the product, by taking into account the rate of condiment materials in the net mass of the product. Notification to the European Union ARTICLE 16 – (1) This Communique has been notified to the European Union Commission in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation on Exchange of Information Between Turkey and The European Union on Technical Regulations published in the Official Gazette dated 03/04/2002 and numbered 24714. Mutual recognition ARTICLE 17 - (1) The provisions of this Communiqué shall not apply to the products lawfully manufactured or put into free circulation in a Member State of the European Union. (2) Nonetheless, the Ministry may submit the product referred to in paragraph (1) to an evaluation following the rules and procedures laid down in Chapter Three of Regulation on Mutual Recognition in Non-Harmonised Area which was put into force by Decision of Council of Ministers No. 2012/3169 of 2/5/2012 and as a result of this evaluation if it finds out that this product does not provide a level of protection equivalent to that sought by this Communiqué it may prohibit placing on the market of the product, make its placing on the market subject to prior conditions or have the product withdrawn or recalled from the market. CHAPTER THREE Miscellaneous and Final Provisions Administrative sanctions ARTICLE 18- (1) Administrative sanctions shall be imposed on those who act contrary to this Communique in accordance with the related provisions of Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed Law dated 11/06/2010 and numbered 5996.