I. Required Documents
(Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
Business Registration Certificates and Food Supplement Approval Certificates are issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Both certificates are mandatory and necessary for food supplement businesses to commence operations. The Business Registration Certificate assesses the basic compliance of the business. Production processes are not examined in detail; only the basic requirements necessary for the operating permit are checked. The Food Supplement Approval Certificate covers the evaluation of the food supplement’s compliance with legal regulations, primarily the Turkish Food Codex, on a product-by-product basis, including formula, content, labeling, packaging, and recommended dosage.
It aims to identify food safety risks and take precautions at critical control points. HACCP is fundamental to food safety, but it is not a quality management system on its own. In Turkey, while obtaining approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the production of food supplements, it is already mandatory for the production facility to have a HACCP system. Therefore, the presence of this system has already been inspected and approved in every supplement product legally on the market. For this reason, the phrase “HACCP certified” does not create any additional safety or difference for products that are legally on the market.
II- Important Certificates
(Recommended certificates with international validity)
GMP certification is of critical importance, especially for facilities producing pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. For food supplements, GMP certification in Turkey is issued by TSE (Turkish Standards Institution) or accredited independent certification bodies ( see TÜRKAK Accredited Body List ). Although not legally mandatory, it is widely adopted in the sector as it demonstrates that the product is produced hygienically and consistently. GMP audits verify that processes such as hygiene, quality control, personnel training, and record keeping are systematically carried out at every stage of production—from raw material acceptance to packaging. In this respect, GMP is not just a certificate, but a document demonstrating the sustainability of production safety. The presence of the word “GMP” on a product’s packaging does not guarantee that the product was actually produced in a GMP-certified facility. Similarly, statements such as “produced in accordance with GMP rules” are merely the company’s own declaration; they do not prove the existence or validity of the certificate. For genuine assurance, it is essential to verify whether the manufacturing facility possesses GMP certification, whether this certification is current (as GMP certificates are typically renewed every 3 years), and whether it was issued by an accredited auditing body. This information is usually available on the company’s website. Companies with current and valid certifications prefer to share these documents transparently.
In pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, GMP certification is legally mandatory and issued by the Ministry of Health. These audits are far more comprehensive than those for food supplements and include pharmaceutical-level quality, traceability, and risk management criteria.
ISO 22000 is one of the most comprehensive food safety management systems. It incorporates HACCP and GMP principles but takes them a step further. While HACCP aims to identify risks and take precautions at critical control points, GMP ensures a hygienic and controlled production environment. ISO 22000 combines these two approaches, offering a system that covers the entire supply chain and includes management processes such as traceability, internal audits, corrective actions, and continuous improvement. This system secures not only the production line but the entire process from raw material procurement to distribution. It is based on HACCP and GMP but integrates them under a management system umbrella, making it more sustainable and auditable.
GMP/ISO 22000/HACCP Logo on the Box:
Real or Graphic?
“GMP” or “ISO 22000” alone does not represent certification.
The actual logo must be presented along with the name of the certification body (e.g., TÜV, SGS, Intertek) and the certificate number.
If it appears on a label, it must be supported by verifiable documentation; otherwise, it may be a marketing graphic. Furthermore, a statement on the label such as “Production is carried out in accordance with GMP standards” may simply be a promise made by the company and does not validate a certificate demonstrating auditing by an independent institution.
GMP or ISO 22000?
GMP certification demonstrates that the production facility operates in accordance with fundamental safety regulations such as hygiene, quality control, and record keeping. This is a crucial step in documenting that the product is manufactured under safe conditions.
ISO 22000, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive food safety management system that incorporates GMP and HACCP principles. It covers not only the production environment but also the entire supply chain; it includes management processes such as risk analysis, traceability, internal auditing, and continuous improvement.
