Glossary

Dietary supplement (Türkiye)

In Türkiye, a dietary supplement (takviye edici gıda) presents vitamins, minerals or botanicals in concentrated form to supplement the diet; it is not a drug.

Written by Metehan Yılmaz
In this guide

Under the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Food Supplements (Communiqué No: 2013/49), a dietary supplement (takviye edici gıda) is a product intended to supplement the normal diet, consisting of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, fatty acids and amino acids, or of concentrates or extracts of plant- and animal-derived substances and bioactive substances that have nutritional or physiological effects, alone or in mixtures, prepared in forms such as capsules, tablets, lozenges, single-use powder sachets, liquid ampoules, dropper bottles and similar liquid or powder forms, with a defined daily intake dose. [1]

How it differs from a drug

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Safe Food (Güvenilir Gıda) page, dietary supplements are not drugs and are not used to prevent or treat a disease. These products must obtain approval from the Ministry; they cannot be placed on the market with claims such as weight loss, increasing sexual performance, height growth, enhancing intelligence, quitting smoking or relieving attention deficit. No dietary supplement approval is issued for infants and young children under two years of age. [2] Foods such as tea, coffee, paste, chocolate and chewing gum, foods consumed in place of a meal for weight control, and sports foods are not counted as dietary supplements. [2]

Label and content

For products containing vitamins and minerals, the daily serving amount stated on the label must provide a defined proportion of the nutrient reference value (NRV; Turkish BRD); for details, see the entry on NRV (BRD). [1] Whether a product is approved can be checked on the list of approved dietary supplements published by the Ministry; the page states that at least one of “manufacturer/importer business name”, “approval number” or “product name” can be used for the list. [2]

For details of the regulation and the distinction between drugs, supplements and foods, the guides What are supplements? and Supplement regulation in Türkiye can be read.

Sources

  1. Gıda, Tarım ve Hayvancılık Bakanlığı — Türk Gıda Kodeksi Takviye Edici Gıdalar Tebliği (Tebliğ No: 2013/49; 21.11.2015 değişikliğiyle güncel metin) (2013)
  2. T.C. Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı, Güvenilir Gıda — Takviye Edici Gıda (2026)

Updated

This content is for information only and is not medical advice. It does not recommend doses, products or vendors. Talk to your clinician before making any health decision.