Importing Ube Powder into Türkiye: HS Code, Food Name and Label Rules

Candidate HS headings for ube powder (1106.20 and 2106.90), import documents, Türkiye's food registration logic and Turkish Food Codex label rules.

Importing ube powder: define the product first

HS code, food name and label look like three separate questions, but all three depend on one thing: the ingredient list. Single-ingredient dried and milled ube (purple yam, Dioscorea alata) and a drink mix containing sugar and creamer fall under different tariff headings, carry different food names and need different allergen lines. This article is orientation, not legal or customs advice. On every point the importer's customs broker and food consultant have the last word.

It is written for two readers: wholesalers and distributors considering their own import, and cafés and pastry shops that buy labelled ube powder in Türkiye and want to know what to look for on the label.

HS code: 1106.20 or 2106.90?

In the Harmonized System, flour, meal and powder of roots and tubers of heading 0714 (cassava, sweet potato, yams and similar) fall under 1106.20. For a powder made only of dried ube, that is the candidate heading.

A drink mix that contains sugar, creamer, flavouring and anti-caking agent is no longer a root powder but a food preparation; the candidate heading becomes 2106.90 (food preparations not elsewhere specified). The difference matters for duty rate, surveillance measures and the control regime.

• 1106.20: dried root and tuber powder, single ingredient, the spec sheet lists only ube.
• 2106.90: a mix of ube with sugar, non-dairy creamer, flavouring or other ingredients.
• Starch-based, flavour-led or colour-led products may raise other headings.

The supplier does not assign the code. The importer's customs broker determines the heading from the producer's spec sheet and ingredient list, and applies for binding tariff information when in doubt. What to ask the supplier for is a spec sheet clear enough for the broker to read: ingredients, process (drying, milling), moisture and intended use.

Documents in the importer's file

The list depends on the product, the origin and the rules in force on the day; this is a general frame that the broker confirms item by item.

• Spec sheet: ingredients, process, moisture, particle size, shelf life, storage, packaging.
• COA: microbiological and physical results per batch.
• Certificate of origin: for Malaysian goods a proof of origin under the Malaysia Türkiye Free Trade Agreement (MTFTA) may apply for preferential duty.
• Health or phytosanitary certificate, depending on the degree of processing.
• Commercial invoice and packing list: cartons, gross and net weight, lot numbers.
• Draft label and packaging details, which may be requested during control.

All of these come from the producer or exporter before loading. A COA requested afterwards or a missing certificate of origin is the most common reason goods wait at customs. For the scope of the agreement, see our Malaysia Türkiye food trade and MTFTA guide.

Food registration in Türkiye: operator registration and product notification

Businesses that import and place food on the market in Türkiye are registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In general terms: the importer holds a registration or approval as a food business; a product notification and import control application is filed for the goods; the shipment passes document control and, where required, sampling at the border; the approved product is placed on the market with a Turkish label.

Which control regime applies, which system the application goes through and how long it takes depend on the product code and current legislation. This article gives no fees or timelines; the importer's consultant confirms the current requirement. For a café buying Turkish-labelled product from a registered importer, these steps have been completed on its behalf.

The label under the Turkish Food Codex

Packaged food placed on the Turkish market follows the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Labelling and Consumer Information. The mandatory elements, in general terms:

• Name of the food
• Ingredient list in descending order by weight
• Allergens emphasised within the ingredient list
• Net quantity
• Best-before date (TETT) or use-by date
• Lot number
• Storage conditions and conditions of use after opening where relevant
• Name and address of the food business operator under whose name the product is marketed
• Country of origin where required
• Instructions for use where needed
• Nutrition declaration

Mandatory information is in Turkish. A Turkish label may be added over the original, but it must not cover the original mandatory information and must be indelible and legible. Font size and field of vision rules are set in the regulation; have a food consultant check the artwork before printing.

Food name: Ube Powder or Ube Drink Powder?

The food name describes the product and must match its content. For single-ingredient dried and milled ube, 'Ube Tozu' (ube powder) or 'Mor Yam Tozu' is descriptive. A mix with sugar and creamer cannot be called 'Ube Tozu'; it needs a name that reflects the content, such as 'Ube İçecek Tozu' (ube drink powder) or 'Ube Aromalı İçecek Tozu' (ube-flavoured drink powder) when the flavour comes from a flavouring rather than from ube.

For a café the distinction is practical: if the name says drink powder or mix, there is sugar inside, the dose is not 10 g and the syrup line changes.

The allergen line: milk derivatives in creamer

Non-dairy creamer often contains milk protein (sodium caseinate) despite its name. In that case the milk derivative is emphasised in the ingredient list. Single-ingredient ube powder has no such line, although a cross-contact statement may be added on the producer's declaration. A premix label without the allergen line is one of the most frequently corrected label errors.

What may not be claimed

The regulation prohibits statements that a food prevents, treats or cures disease. Claims about body functions or nutritional properties may only be used if they appear on the permitted list and their conditions are met. In practice for ube powder:

• No general wellbeing statements.
• Claims about purity, naturalness or the source of the colour only if the spec sheet and analysis report support them; an unsupported claim stays off the label.
• No attribution of properties the product does not have, no presentation of ordinary properties as special, no misleading images.
• If the flavour comes from a flavouring rather than from ube, the name and imagery must not hide it.

The same rules apply to menus, social media and websites; the operator placing the product on the market is responsible for misleading marketing even when the label is correct.

What this means for a café or pastry shop

If you are not importing yourself, the article reduces to three questions: does the food name match the ingredient list; are the name and address of the operator on the Turkish label; can the supplier provide the spec sheet and COA on request. Three yeses mean customs and registration were handled on your behalf and you can move on to dosing, cost per cup and sample testing.

Working with Avalon

Avalon Global brings ube powder from a Malaysian producer as a raw ingredient and supplies it in Türkiye in Turkish-labelled 1 kg packs to cafés, pastry shops and hotel kitchens. Spec sheet and COA are shared on request; the first order is 1 kg with a price break at 5 kg and above. Prices are given by quotation through the ube powder product page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the HS code for ube powder?

It depends on the content. For a powder made only of dried ube the candidate heading is 1106.20 (flour, meal and powder of roots and tubers of heading 0714). For ube drink mixes with sugar, creamer and flavouring the candidate is 2106.90 (food preparations not elsewhere specified). The importer's customs broker sets the final code from the spec sheet.

What is the import duty on ube powder in Türkiye?

This article gives no rate; duty depends on the assigned code, the origin and the import regime in force. Malaysian-origin goods may qualify for preferential duty under the MTFTA with the right proof of origin. The importer's customs broker confirms the current rate before declaration.

Which documents are needed to import ube powder?

In general: spec sheet, batch COA, certificate of origin, a health or phytosanitary certificate depending on processing, commercial invoice and packing list. On the Turkish side, operator registration, product notification and an import control application. The list varies by product and date; the broker confirms before loading.

What must an ube powder label say?

In Turkish: food name, ingredients in descending order, emphasised allergens, net quantity, best-before date, lot number, storage conditions, name and address of the operator, country of origin where required, instructions for use and a nutrition declaration. The food name must match the content: single-ingredient product 'Ube Tozu', sweetened mix 'Ube İçecek Tozu' or similar.

Is a permit needed to import ube powder?

The importing business must be registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and file a product notification and control application for the goods. Which control regime applies depends on the product code and current legislation. No fees or timelines are given here; the importer's consultant confirms the current requirement.

Can ube powder be sold in Türkiye?

Yes. Ube powder that has passed import control and carries a Turkish label compliant with the Turkish Food Codex may be placed on the market. For a café the test is simple: food name matches content, operator name and address are on the label, and the supplier can share the spec sheet and COA.