Nutrition · 15 October 2026
“Village”, “Roaming”, “Organic”, “Daily”: What Do the Words on Egg Cartons in Turkey Mean?
The words “köy” (village), “gezen” (roaming), “organik” (organic) and “günlük” (daily) on Turkish egg cartons do not all carry the same kind of information. In the Turkish Food Codex Egg Communiqué the rearing method is shown by a one-digit code stamped on the shell: 0, 1, 2 or 3. The definitions article of the communiqué texts linked below contains no term “köy”, “gezen” or “günlük”; “organik” appears in Article 12 as the meaning of code 0.
This post is based on the Official Gazette texts of the 2014 communiqué and of the 2017 and 2025 communiqués that amended it. These are Turkish rules, and they may change later; for the current wording, see the sources at the end of the post.
How does the Turkish Egg Communiqué show the rearing method?
Article 12 of the communiqué, on labelling and marking, says after the 2017 amendment that on Class A eggs the rearing method code, the farm number and the house number are stamped on the shell so that they are easy to see, legible and at least 2 mm high. Under the same article the code comes in front of the farm and house number. The meanings given in the communiqué are:
- 0: organic rearing (“organik yetiştiricilik”)
- 1: rearing with access to an outdoor range (“açık dolaşım alanına erişim (free range) yetiştiricilik”)
- 2: cage-free rearing in a house (“kümeste kafessiz yetiştiricilik”)
- 3: caged rearing (“kafesli yetiştiricilik”)
In the 2017 text, code 1 read “free range (açık dolaşıma erişim) yetiştiricilik”; the 2025 amendment rewrote it as “açık dolaşım alanına erişim (free range) yetiştiricilik”. On how the rearing method is determined, the communiqué refers to the Turkish regulation on minimum standards for the protection of laying hens.
Article 12 also speaks of explaining the code on the label: “Yetiştirme metodu kodu, A sınıfı yumurtanın etiket bilgilerinde açıklanır”, that is, the rearing method code is explained in the label information of Class A eggs. The example given in the communiqué text is “0: Organik yetiştiricilik” (0: organic rearing).
What does “köy yumurtası” (village egg) mean, and is it defined?
The definitions article of the communiqué texts read for this post contains no term “köy yumurtası”, and the word “köy” was not found in those texts.
In everyday Turkish, “köy yumurtası” mostly brings to mind a small-scale producer keeping hens in a village or a garden. For the rearing method, the information the communiqué provides for is the code on the shell. When you see this phrase, it is enough to look at the first digit on the egg and to ask the producer or the seller anything that is unclear.
Does “gezen tavuk” (roaming hen) appear in the communiqué?
The word “gezen” does not occur in the communiqué texts read for this post. The wording the communiqué uses for code 1 is “açık dolaşım alanına erişim (free range) yetiştiricilik”. In everyday Turkish, “gezen tavuk” is mostly used for hens that can go outdoors. In the communiqué the rearing method is shown by the code on the shell.
The communiqué lists separate codes for organic rearing and for rearing with access to an outdoor range (free range): 0 and 1. We covered “gezen tavuk” eggs and organic eggs in a separate post, linked below.
Where does “organik” appear in the communiqué?
The definitions article of the communiqué has no separate definition of “organic egg”. The word appears in Article 12, in the sentence that lists the codes: “organik yetiştiricilik için 0” (0 for organic rearing). The communiqué texts read for this post do not describe the conditions of organic rearing; they only give the code for that rearing method. The rules of organic production are outside the scope of this post.
The practical point for a reader: the code the communiqué gives to organic rearing is 0, and you can find this information in the first digit of the stamp on the shell and in the code explanation on the label.
What does “günlük yumurta” (daily egg) mean, and which freshness term does the communiqué use?
The communiqué texts read for this post contain no term “günlük yumurta”. The freshness term the communiqué does define is “ekstra taze yumurta” (extra fresh egg). That definition is tied to the air cell on the date of packing and to the time passed since the production date; the measurements and the period can be read in the communiqué itself.
The communiqué has two more details about dates. Under Article 12 the laying date may also be stamped on Class A eggs. Since the 2025 amendment the communiqué refers to the date on the label with the phrase “Tavsiye edilen tüketim tarihi” (recommended consumption date). For where and how long to keep eggs, follow the date and the storage instructions on the label.
Which terms does the communiqué define?
The definitions article includes these terms that a reader may come across on a label:
- Class A egg (“A sınıfı yumurta”)
- Class B egg (“B sınıfı yumurta”)
- Extra fresh egg (“ekstra taze yumurta”)
- Farm number (“işletme numarası”)
- House number (“kümes numarası”)
In the 2017 text the farm number is defined as a number of 15 digits in total: a one-digit rearing method code, a two-digit country code, a two-digit province code and a ten-digit number specific to the farm. The digit at the start of the stamp on the shell is the rearing method code in this definition.
What should you check, in order, when you pick up a carton?
- The first digit of the stamp on the shell: 0, 1, 2 or 3
- The explanation of that code on the label
- The recommended consumption date on the label and, if present, the laying date
- The storage instructions
- If something is unclear, ask the producer or the seller
In short, in the texts read for this post only “organik” of the four words appears as the meaning of a code; the words “gezen”, “köy” and “günlük” do not occur in them. According to the texts read for this post, the rearing method is shown by the first digit on the shell and that code is explained in the label information.
This post is for general information only; it is not medical or legal advice.
Egg Stamp Codes 0, 1, 2 and 3: What Do They Mean? →
Free-Range vs Organic Eggs: What Is the Difference? →
Frequently asked questions
What does “köy yumurtası” (village egg) mean in Turkey?
The definitions article of the Egg Communiqué texts read for this post contains no term “köy yumurtası”. In everyday use it mostly suggests small-scale production. In the communiqué the rearing method is shown by the first digit of the stamp on the shell.
What does code 1 show on a Turkish egg?
The word “gezen” does not occur in the communiqué texts read for this post. The communiqué gives code 1 to rearing with access to an outdoor range (free range). You read the declared method from the first digit on the shell.
What is the code for organic eggs in Turkey?
Article 12 of the communiqué contains the wording “organik yetiştiricilik için 0”, that is, 0 for organic rearing. The communiqué texts read for this post do not describe the conditions of organic rearing; they only give the code for that rearing method.
Does the Turkish Egg Communiqué define “günlük yumurta” (daily egg)?
The communiqué texts read for this post contain no such term. The freshness term the communiqué defines is “ekstra taze yumurta” (extra fresh egg). For dates, look at the recommended consumption date on the label.
What does the first digit on a Turkish egg show?
Under the communiqué, the one-digit number at the start of the farm number is the rearing method code: 0, 1, 2 or 3. Article 12 of the communiqué says that this code is explained in the label information.
