‘Bacterial Overload’ Kaymak Manufacturer "Sincerely Apologizes for Water Stirring"

On the 12th, the manufacturer of Ka?mak (traditional Turkish cream) products, which were deemed non-compliant with bacterial count standards by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, issued an official apology.

Kim Woo-hyung, CEO of the Ka?mak manufacturer 'The Creamery,' stated in a press release sent to the media on the same day, "As a company that manufactures and distributes food products, we sincerely apologize to our consumers for the non-compliance found in the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's self-quality inspection." He added, "I deeply apologize as the representative for causing social concern due to this incident." The company also explained that the Ka?mak products tested on June 4, 2024, exceeded the general bacterial count standards.

Dairy processing company 'The Creamery' manufactured 'Kaymak' 100g [Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety]

According to the company, the product manufactured on June 4, 2024, with an expiration date of June 18, 2024, was classified as non-compliant in the self-quality inspection conducted by a commissioned testing agency and was subject to a Grade 3 recall. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety classifies Grade 1 and 2 recalls as cases involving the presence of fatal food poisoning bacteria harmful to humans, while Grade 3 recalls are imposed when the health risk to humans from consuming or using the food is relatively low. The Creamery explained that except for five units, all Ka?mak produced on the specified manufacturing date were not shipped and were recalled from the logistics center. They added that the Grade 3 recall was confirmed to have occurred during the transportation of monthly microbial test samples to the testing agency, where the samples were not sufficiently cooled. The company conducted a general bacterial count verification test on Ka?mak produced simultaneously over the weekend and obtained results that met the standards required by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

CEO Kim said, "We were putting great effort into maintaining cleanliness far stricter than usual standards and were in the process of preparing for the international food safety management system (FSSC22000) certification, so I deeply regret my mistake in sending the wrong sample." He continued, "Our employees take pride in managing the production environment much more cleanly and thoroughly than their previous workplaces," and added, "We want to clarify any misunderstandings to the consumers who have always purchased our products." Earlier, on the 10th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that The Creamery's self-quality inspection results confirmed non-compliance with bacterial count standards and urged, "Customers who purchased the product should stop consumption and contact the customer center indicated on the product or return it to the place of purchase." They also requested, "Sellers holding recalled products should stop sales and return them to the recalling business operator."