Kayseri pastirma, traditional Turkish cured beef, wins EU protection

A traditional Turkish cured meat specialty from central Türkiye has gained official protection in the European Union (EU), marking another step in the country's efforts to secure international recognition for local foods.

"'Kayseri Pastirmasi', a beef-based cured meat product, has been officially registered in the EU's register of geographical indications, becoming the 46th product from Türkiye to receive this recognition," the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye said in a post on US social media company X on Friday.

Rifat Hisarciklioglu, head of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye, announced the development on Wednesday, describing it as an important achievement for his hometown Kayseri and for Türkiye's wider efforts to safeguard its local culinary heritage.

"May it be beneficial for my hometown Kayseri and our country," Hisarciklioglu said, noting that the registration process faced formal objections. "We worked intensively with our experts and legal teams. In the end, Kayseri achieved its goal."

EU geographical indication status grants legal protection to products whose quality, reputation or distinct characteristics are closely tied to a specific region, helping prevent imitation and unauthorized use.

Emphasizing Türkiye's wide range of regional specialties, Hisarciklioglu said the country is home to a diversity of products rarely concentrated within a single geography.

"As TOBB and the chamber-exchange community, we are making significant efforts for local and geographically indicated products," he said, adding that 46 additional geographical indication applications and two traditional specialty names from Türkiye are currently under examination by the EU.