With the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; the “5th International Food Chemistry Congress,” organized in cooperation with Üsküdar University, Yıldız Technical University, and the Chemists' Association, has started in Antalya.
The congress, held in Antalya Kemer between April 9-12, 2026, brings together experts, academics, and industry representatives from different countries around the world with the theme “Food Systems from Chemistry to Nutrition” this year. At the congress, innovative technologies in the field of food, existing risks, and future opportunities are comprehensively discussed with the participation of national and international speakers.
At the opening, Prof. Muhammet Arıcı from Yıldız Technical University, Chemists' Association President İkram Cengiz, TAGEM Deputy General Manager Dr. Şerafettin Çakal, and Ülker R&D Vice President Ali Sertakan were also present.
Healthy eating is the foundation of sustainable living
Congress President Prof. Muhammet Arıcı from Yıldız Technical University, in his opening speech, drew attention to the importance of healthy eating in human life, emphasizing that the increasing world population and changing demographic structure are transforming eating habits.
Referring to the new dietary guidelines published in the USA in 2026, Prof. Arıcı stated that red meat and full-fat products stood out in the model prepared with the “Eat real foods” approach, but that this approach should be evaluated within the framework of each country's own dynamics. Prof. Arıcı noted that discussions regarding ultra-processed foods, added sugar consumption, and healthy fats are ongoing.
Consumer behaviors are changing!
Prof. Arıcı, also drawing attention to the global food consumption trends announced for 2026, stated that consumers are no longer just price-focused; they are seeking quality, transparency, and real benefits. Prof. Arıcı stated that the demand for information regarding the source of food has increased, and that digitalization also plays a decisive role in the food sector.
Prof. Arıcı, drawing attention to consumers turning to reliable and familiar brands during periods of uncertainty, expressed that multi-sensory experiences and digital platforms support growth in the food industry.
Food waste and hunger paradox!
“While billions of tons of food are wasted in one part of the world, there is hunger in another,” said Prof. Arıcı, emphasizing that global climate change, wars, and inequalities in access to food affect millions of people.
Food security is now a matter of national security
Chemists' Association President İkram Cengiz, in his opening speech at the congress, emphasized that food systems are undergoing a serious transformation process on a global scale. İkram Cengiz stated that the increasing population, urbanization, limited natural resources, and deepening climate crisis create great pressure on food systems in terms of both quantity and quality.
Cengiz, drawing attention to the fact that food supply is theoretically sufficient to feed the world population, stated that structural problems experienced in the process from production to consumption prevent the effective use of this potential. Pointing to waste, access inequality, and distribution problems, İkram Cengiz said, “It is clear that in a system where billions of tons of food are lost every year, the problem of food security cannot be solved by simply increasing production.”
Climate change threatens production!
Noting that the effects of climate change on agricultural production are becoming increasingly evident, İkram Cengiz said that water scarcity, declining soil quality, loss of biodiversity, and unpredictable climate events threaten the continuity of production. Emphasizing the importance of modern agricultural practices, İkram Cengiz stressed that food security should be considered not only with production quantity but also with quality, purity, traceability, and human health.
“Food chemistry is the key to sustainability”
Stating that food chemistry plays a critical role at this point, İkram Cengiz used the expressions, “Food chemistry is not just a discipline; it is the scientific foundation of safe production, the measurement standard of quality, and the key to sustainability.”
Cengiz stated that their aim is not only more production but also to create a more efficient, safe, transparent, and sustainable food ecosystem.
The key to the future is in R&D and innovation…
Dr. Şerafettin Çakal, Deputy General Manager of the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM), in his speech at the congress, drew attention to the strong relationship between food, agriculture, and R&D. Dr. Şerafettin Çakal said, “The future of humanity depends on food, the future of food depends on agriculture, and the future of agriculture depends on R&D and innovation.”
Referring to theories regarding the development levels of countries on a global scale, Dr. Çakal stated that societies investing in knowledge and R&D develop sustainably, using the expressions, “R&D is at the foundation of development for countries, companies, and individuals alike.”
The smart era has begun in agriculture and food…
Referring to the historical development of food systems, Dr. Çakal explained that humanity has undergone a transformation from the hunter-gatherer period to the agricultural revolution, and from there to the industrial and “Green Revolution” process, stating that while the industrial revolution brought a great increase in production, intensive chemical use challenged sustainability.
Dr. Çakal stated that today, the era of “Smart Agriculture” and “Smart Food” has begun, and biotechnology, nanotechnology, and information technologies have become decisive in agricultural and food production. Dr. Çakal also emphasized that personalized nutrition systems will come to the fore in the future.
“The problem is not production, but the system”
Dr. Çakal, drawing attention to the fact that despite sufficient food production per capita in the world, hunger, obesity, and waste coexist, stated that the problem stems from distribution and systemic failures rather than production. Dr. Çakal stated that sustainability is not only a technical but also an ethical issue.
Climate change and biodiversity warning!
Emphasizing that climate change is the result of human activities, Dr. Çakal said that drought, floods, and global warming threaten agricultural production, and expressed that the protection of soil, water, and biodiversity, which form the basis of agriculture, is vitally important.
“Every country should produce its own food”
Dr. Çakal stated that globalization has led to concentration in the food, seed, and pharmaceutical sectors, and that pandemics, wars, and embargoes have made food security more critical. Dr. Çakal said, “Countries need to produce their own food, develop their R&D capacity, and reduce foreign dependency.”
TAGEM protects genetic resources
Referring to TAGEM's work, Dr. Çakal said that the institution carries out the task of protecting and improving plant and animal genetic resources. Dr. Çakal stated that they operate with 50 research institutes and 2,500 researchers across Türkiye, and that genetic diversity is secured with gene banks.
Dr. Çakal stated that TAGEM has developed 1048 varieties in field crops and 1076 varieties in horticultural crops to date, and noted that a significant portion of certified seed production in Türkiye is the result of these efforts.
Dr. Çakal stated that they carry out R&D studies in a wide range of areas from food safety to production processes, and that science and technology form the basis of sustainable food systems.
“We export technology and innovation from Türkiye to the world”
Ülker R&D Vice President Ali Sertakan made important evaluations regarding the company's R&D, innovation, and global growth strategies, emphasizing that as an entity, it has transformed into a structure that not only produces food but also develops technology and exports knowledge.
Digitalization is essential for competition
Sertakan, drawing attention to the importance of digital transformation in his speech, said that they invest in smart factories, autonomous systems, and AI-supported production models. Sertakan stated that Industry 4.0 applications are critical for competitiveness, and expressed that big data analytics and automation systems are actively used in production processes.
Dr. Salih Tuncay: “Public, university, private sector are coming together…”
Asst. Prof. Salih Tuncay from Üsküdar University, Vice President of the Congress, stated that public, university, and private sector representatives were brought together within the scope of the congress, and noted that these collaborations aim to transfer scientific studies in the field of food into practice.
Tuncay, stating that there was intense participation on the first day of the congress, said, 'As of today, we are seeing close to 300 entries. With daily participants, we can say this number is approaching 400. We expect it to exceed 400 and approach 500 by the end of the congress.'
Experts in their field addressed current topics based on food chemistry
At the congress, Prof. Müge Arslan, Head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, gave a presentation titled “Food Processing Technologies, Associated Losses, and Current Technological Approaches”.
At the congress, Prof. H. Funda Karbancıoğlu Güler (ITU) presented “Climate Change and Mycotoxins: Risks and Strategies”, Prof. Osman Sağdıç (YTU) presented “Food Poisoning and Its Evaluation from a Forensic Medicine Perspective”, Prof. Esra Çapanoğlu (ITU) presented “Circular Bioeconomy Approaches in the Valorization of Bioactive Components”, Prof. Durmuş Özdemir (İzmir Institute of Technology) presented “Chemometric Applications in Food Analysis”, Prof. Mustafa Yaman (Sabahattin Zaim University) presented “The Role of Advanced Glycation End Products Formed in Foods in the Development and Progression of Metabolic Diseases”, Prof. Mükerem Kaya (Atatürk University) presented “Nitrosamines in Meat and Seafood”, Prof. Sercan Karav (Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University) presented “Host-Microbiota Interactions and Innovative Functional Food Design”, Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Bener (Istanbul University) presented “An Overview of Food Antioxidant Determination: Approaches from Past to Present”, Assoc. Prof. Urartu Şeker (Middle East Technical University) presented “Engineering Microbial Food Systems: From Synthetic Biology to Sustainable Nutrition”, and Assoc. Prof. Yunus Emre Tunçil (Necmettin Erbakan University) presented “From Structure to Function: How Dietary Fiber Chemistry Guides Colon Microbiome Modulation?”.
