Food Scandal at a Turkish State University: Chicken Instead of Adana Kebab!

In an unprecedented move that has sparked a wave of concern among Turkish students and families, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry included the name of a state university in the official list of fraudulent food products (Tağşiş). According to reports published on July 3, 2026, government inspectors discovered that in the university's cafeteria, chicken meat was served as "Adana Kebab," which according to standards must be prepared from red meat [1][4].

Details of the Scandal at Necmettin Erbakan University According to the updated list from the Ministry of Agriculture released on July 2, 2026, the Block E Cafe-Restaurant at Necmettin Erbakan University, located in the Meram district of Konya, was identified for violations regarding the content of its Adana Kebab [2]. Laboratory tests on collected samples showed that this establishment, operated by the private sector (Şefik Kılıçaslan), used poultry meat in a product that should have been made exclusively from red meat [3]. This is the first time the name of a food service center inside a state university campus has appeared on the Ministry's blacklist [4].

First Appearance of a Public Institution on the Blacklist The publication of this news has had a wide impact in the Turkish media, as universities are generally recognized as safe environments for student nutrition. Experts believe that the presence of a state university on this list is a warning sign for the oversight system of private sector contractors in public institutions [2]. The Ministry of Agriculture announced that this product was classified under "adding lower-value materials" and was officially recorded as food fraud [4].

Expansion of the Fraudulent Products List in Turkey A total of 29 new products whose violations have been confirmed were added to the Ministry of Agriculture's new list. In addition to the Konya university scandal, other shocking cases appear on this list. For example, in the Yenişehir district of Diyarbakır, single-hoofed animal meat (such as horse or donkey) and unauthorized tissues like heart were identified in one company's "Kavurma" product [3][4]. Extensive impurities were also reported in other products such as soujouk and olive oil [1].

Reactions and Student Food Security Students at Necmettin Erbakan University and consumer rights activists have called for serious action against violating contractors and direct university supervision over the quality of raw materials. The Ministry of Agriculture emphasized that inspections will continue without interruption, and any product that endangers public health or deceives the consumer will be publicly announced through the "Reliable Food" (Guvenilir Gida) system without exception [3].