Europe and the Balkans are served mainly by refrigerated road transport, with every load prepared to the caliber and labeling standards of retail chains. MC Sarıkaya Gıda is a fresh fruit and vegetable trading company with family roots in the Istanbul Bayrampaşa wholesale market. We source 38 products and 169 varieties from 34 regions of Turkey through our grower network and prepare them for export under management systems certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 22000:2018.
What we supply to Europe and the Balkans
Retail buyers in the EU and the Balkans source citrus, vegetables and seasonal fruit from Turkey: mandarins from the very early Satsuma types in September to the late varieties in April, lemons and oranges, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, and pomegranates, table grapes and cherries in their seasons. Products in demand:
Month-by-month availability is shown on our season calendar; the full range, including grapes, is on the product portfolio page.
How road shipments to Europe and the Balkans are planned
Refrigerated road transport is the usual mode for this market, and DAP is the usual delivery term: we transport the goods to the buyer's specified warehouse or distribution centre, excluding import duty. EXW, FOB and CIF are also available; the transport mode itself is weighed per shipment against destination, shelf life and delivery deadline.
- Refrigerated truck: roughly 20-22 tonnes or 33 euro pallets; road shipments start from one pallet per product within a mixed load.
- 40' reefer container: 20-23 pallets depending on product, with temperature logging, where the route calls for a sea shipment.
- Cold chain: pre-cooling before loading and carriage at -1 to 15°C by product group; temperature data loggers are added on request and the record is reported at delivery.
- Pallets: 80×120 cm EUR or 100×120 cm ISO pallets with corner boards and strapping.
Our logistics page sets out the shipment standards in full.
Documents and EU compliance: phytosanitary certificate and MRL
Every consignment travels with a phytosanitary certificate issued by Turkey's plant protection authority for that consignment, a commercial invoice stating the agreed Incoterms rule, and a packing list matching the declared weight and item count to the cargo. A certificate of origin can be arranged on request. Pesticide-residue compliance, staying under the EU's maximum residue levels (MRL), is where the EU differs from other markets. The EU rule that sets extra import checks for specific countries (Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, last amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/194, in force since 18 February 2026) puts Turkish-origin products on two lists:
- List 1, certificate before shipment: mandarins, clementines, similar citrus hybrids and oranges. Each consignment leaves Turkey with an official certificate from the Turkish authority and a laboratory residue analysis.
- List 2, checks on arrival: lemons, pomegranates, peppers and tomatoes. Consignments are sampled and tested at the EU border post; no pre-shipment document is needed.
The lists are reviewed at least every six months, so residue documentation is planned per product and per shipment, and our grower partners are asked to share their agricultural application records. Our pesticide residue and MRL compliance guide gives the current position by product, and our quality control and certifications pages describe the controls behind each load.
Packaging, grading and private label for retail chains
Retail programmes are prepared to the chain's specification: products are graded Extra, Class I or Class II under the UNECE and Codex marketing standards and sized by caliber code, and the carton label states the packer's details, country of origin, class and size code. Private label packaging is prepared to the buyer's specification, with design and print details agreed during the quote discussion; packaging and caliber options are listed on each product page.
How to request a quote
Send us the product and variety, the quantity in pallets or tonnes, the destination and the delivery date, together with your preferred delivery term, through our quote form; our team typically replies within 1 business day. For the full sequence from delivery term to documents, see our guide to importing fresh produce from Turkey and our export markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Turkish mandarins need a laboratory certificate before shipment to the EU?
Yes. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/194, mandarins, clementines and similar citrus hybrids and oranges must be accompanied by an official certificate and the results of sampling and analysis before the consignment leaves Turkey. Lemons, pomegranates, peppers and tomatoes are instead sampled at the EU border on arrival, with no pre-shipment document required.
What is the minimum order for a refrigerated road shipment to Europe?
Road shipments start from one pallet per product within a mixed load; a refrigerated truck carries roughly 20-22 tonnes or 33 euro pallets, so several products can share one vehicle. Send the product, destination and delivery date for an exact figure.
Which delivery term is usual for deliveries to warehouses in the EU and the Balkans?
DAP (Delivered At Place) is the usual choice for refrigerated road deliveries: we transport the goods to the buyer's specified destination, excluding import duty. EXW, FOB and CIF are also available, and the agreed term is stated on the commercial invoice.