By Anadolu Agency
June 18, 2026 12:25 pmYildiz Holding views food safety as a strategic responsibility extending beyond quality control to supply chains and consumer concerns, and manages its global operations in 11 countries through common standards, a senior company executive said Thursday.
Speaking to Anadolu, Rohaizad Bin Hassan, Yildiz’s food safety and defense general manager, said the company’s approach covers food defense, supply chain integrity, and consumer sensitivities in addition to regulatory compliance and quality control.
“This approach is rooted in the principle of the late Sabri Ulker, the founder of Ulker: ‘I do not produce any product that I would not eat myself or feed to my children’,” said Hassan. He added that the principle remains one of the key references for Yildiz Holding’s global food safety vision.
Hassan said the company’s Food Safety Council supports that vision through a governance structure covering global operations.
“In this framework, we contribute to managing food safety through common principles across 33 food and food-related production facilities in 11 countries among Yildiz Holding’s 45 factories worldwide,” he stressed.
Hassan said food safety does not begin or end on the production line and that access to accurate, scientific, and understandable information has become an important part of the food safety ecosystem.
“Misinformation can damage trust in food regardless of the product itself,” Hassan said. “It can create unnecessary concern among consumers or, conversely, lead them to underestimate risks that deserve attention.”
He said the company works to strengthen a food safety culture from suppliers and production facilities to product development processes and consumer sensitivities.
Hassan added that the council bases its criteria on scientific principles, national and international regulations, and globally recognized best practices.
He further noted that the company regularly reviews its standards according to the requirements of different regions and Yildiz Holding’s food safety vision.
Among its key references are the Codex Alimentarius principles, Turkish food regulations, European Union legislation, and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, Hassan said.
The manager added that the company uses standards recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative and practices developed by the American Institute of Baking in audits and food safety management. In food defense, it also draws on the FDA’s Intentional Adulteration Rule and the PAS 96 publicly available specification, he said.
Hassan explained that the company also follows international guidance on standard Muslim halal compliance and vegetarian and vegan products. He added that consumer sensitivities are integrated into all processes, from raw material selection and production line management to supplier controls and final product inspections.
Yildiz Holding manages its global operations through a common food safety approach and aims to apply the same discipline and standards at facilities in Türkiye and abroad, according to Hassan.
He said operations in different countries, including the company’s McVitie’s biscuit factory in the UK, are part of the same system.
“Even if the geography changes, our food safety approach, audit systems, and expectations do not,” Hassan stressed.
The manager emphasized that one of the Food Safety Council’s main contributions has been bringing company-wide practices together under a more integrated, institutional, and traceable governance structure.
Hassan also said formal escalation mechanisms have been established to ensure audit findings are rapidly communicated to relevant management levels and that corrective actions are clearly defined and monitored through follow-up audits.
Hassan said the company’s audit model covers the entire product life cycle, from raw materials and packaging to production and distribution.
He noted that raw materials and packaging materials are sourced from approved suppliers whose performance is regularly evaluated and, when necessary, supported through audit processes.
Materials accepted into factories undergo physical, chemical, and microbiological checks under established standards and procedures, Hassan said. He added that storage, production, packaging, and shipment processes are carried out in line with defined procedures.
Hassan emphasized that halal compliance considerations extend beyond production processes to supplier selection criteria. Product and market requirements are assessed alongside halal compliance, ingredient integrity, production processes, and certification requirements, he said.
Supplier audits are conducted through an approach aimed at supporting transparency and impartiality, while also drawing on independent expertise and international best practices when needed, the manager added.
When a supplier is found not to comply with council-defined criteria, the finding is recorded and shared with relevant management units, Hassan said. The supplier is then expected to prepare and implement a corrective action plan within a specified period.
“The effectiveness of these actions is verified through follow-up audits and review processes,” Hassan said. “In cases where compliance with our food safety standards cannot be achieved, the supplier relationship is reassessed. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach toward issues that could pose risks to food safety, product integrity, and consumer health.”
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