New era in cheese: The terms 'Natural', 'Village' and 'Traditional' banned on labels

Turkey’s new Cheese Communiqué, published in the Official Gazette, repealed the 2015 regulation and redrew production and hygiene standards for all cheese varieties, from white cheese to kashkaval. The rules ban the terms “natural,” “village” and “traditional” on cheese labels, a change that affects how producers market products across the category. The regulation matters because it standardizes labeling and production requirements nationwide, forcing manufacturers to revise packaging and claims. What to watch next is how dairies reformulate labels and whether the new standards prompt compliance costs or product repositioning in the market.