Ethical Principles

Turkish Food Safety Association (TFSA) Ethical Principles

Objective

The objective of this document is to inform TFSA members, consumer council members, scientific advisory board members, scientific advisors and all other stakeholders on the basic principles of TFSA and to promote them work around these principles.

Principle 1 – Being Scientific

TFSA takes science and scientific methods as a bases in all its works. TFSA’s opinions and suggestions are always shaped within the framework of internationally accepted science based corporate opinions. The baseline of all TFSA works is to protect public health and public benefits and to ensure development of food production in our country in conformity with the food safety rules. The committees where TFSA work takes place, work in cooperation with TFSA Scientific Advisory Board and the universities.

Principle 2 – Doing the Work Right

Responsibility; TFSA realises the tasks and responsibilities within its field of work competently. It evaluates and manages the necessary resources for its planned activities.

Transparency, accountability; It acts in the direction of law, justice, equality and honesty principles. It acts transparently and honestly while using all the communication channels.

It accepts accountability first to the people it serves, and at the same time to its members, scientific agencies, public enterprises, volunteers, its workers and stakeholders on the results of its activities and decisions, as a principle.

Honesty, integrity, objectivity;

During its activities, it acts honestly and with integrity in its relations with its members, with public enterprises, with its stakeholders and with the society it serves. It has a fair and impartial attitude.

Conflict of interest; TFSA stands away from conflict of interest and benefit relations while constructing its resources and information; it gives importance to trust, honesty and open communication. It ensures the decisions to be objective and science based in case of disagreement between the interests of various people and organisations during its activities. TFSA doesn’t act as the voice of any trade interests and behaves to form a common sense with its stakeholders in its activities.

Discrimination; It stands at the same distance to all the stakeholders, members, institutions and organizations without distinction against gender, religion, language, race, sect, political view.

Independency; TFSA acts independently in all its activities in the direction of the decisions taken in accordance with its rules and principles.

Relations with the Political Parties; It stands at the same distance to all the political parties, doesn’t try to gain personal or institutional benefits.

Obtaining and Keeping Information; TFSA cares the principles of transparency and honesty while using and storing the information collected during its activities. It respects to the confidentiality of private information about people and institutions and takes all the precautions to protect them.

Gifts and Grants; While realising its activities, TFSA doesn’t accept any gifts or profits that might affect its neutrality, decisions or behaviours.

Principle 3 – Creating Sustainable Values

TFSA adopts 17 sustainable development goals set by the United Nations for a sustainable future. It has an accountable attitude to public, commitment to ethical values and environmentally conscious approach in all its activities while contributing to the development of its stakeholders.

Principle 4 – Behaving within the frames of National and International Legislative Regulations

In its basic attitudes and communication, as well as forming all kind of information, reports and documentation, TFSA takes the national and international, but especially the national, valid legislative regulations as the bases. TFSA accept these regulations which are formed based on risk analysis, as scientifically correct to ensure food safety and adopts them. However, within the framework of scientific truths, it also conveys its opinions, criticism and recommendations on regulations and implementations to the relevant institutions and ministries through suitable channels.

Principle 5 – Being Solution/Target Oriented

TFSA accepts as a principle to be a part of the solution, not the problem. It tries to find solutions to the problems detected in cooperation with its members, members of the scientific advisory board, members of the consumer council, nGOs and the ministries, and takes part in the interventions related with the solution.

Principle 6 – Confidentiality, Protection of Personal Data:

TFSA takes all precautions to protect the information and data gained about its members and activities. It protects the information to be kept confidential until the permission and approval of the owner of the data or unless there is a legal obligation. It doesn’t use this information out of purpose or unfairly. It doesn’t attempt to collect any secrets or information unethically and doesn’t confirm any such activity.

It acts in accordance with the legal framework on protection of personal data.

Principle 7 – Comprehensiveness

In all its activities, it acts comprehensively to cover all related parties without any discrimination. In case of any difference of opinion, it tries to understand the needs and positions of all parties without prejudice and acts in a way to help protect public health.