Turkish Food Codex Regulation on microbiological criteria.

This Regulation lays down the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs and and the implementing rules to be complied with by food business operators when implementing the general and specific hygiene measures referred to in Regulation on food hygiene. Food business operators shall ensure that foodstuffs comply with the relevant microbiological criteria set out in Annexes 1, 2 and 3. They at each stage of food production, processing and distribution, including retail, shall take measures, as part of their procedures based on hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) principles together with the implementation of good hygiene practice.
The food safety criteria specified in Annex 1 are used to assess the safety of a food or batch and are valid throughout the shelf-life. Food must not be placed on the market if it does not meet this criterion. Food business operator is responsible for taking samples in accordance with the rules set out in Annex 4 to ensure compliance with the production hygiene criteria laid down in Annex 2. In order to protect the health of consumers, food business operators have an obligation to withdraw unsafe food from the market and to take necessary measures. When the requirements for Salmonella in minced meat, meat preparations and meat products intended to be eaten cooked of all species set down in Annexes 1 and 2 are fulfilled, the batches of those products placed on the market must be clearly labelled by the manufacturer in order to inform the consumer of the need for thorough cooking prior to consumption.