Which Products Require a Ministry of Health ÜTS Cosmetic Notification?

Before a Product Hits the Shelves

As the demand for cosmetics and personal care products increases today, consumers are more frequently asking, "Is this product really safe?" In Turkey, one of the primary control mechanisms for this safety is the Ministry of Health's ÜTS (Product Tracking System). But does a ÜTS-notified product always mean it's "safe"? Which products require ÜTS notification? And what should consumers expect from this system?

1. What is ÜTS? What Does It Do?

ÜTS is the Ministry of Health's Medical Device and Cosmetic Product Tracking System. Its purpose is:

To check if a product has been placed on the market with a notification,
To facilitate recall and inspection processes when necessary.

The manufacturer or importer notifies the Ministry of Health through the system before placing the product on the market.

2. Which Products Require Notification to ÜTS?

Cosmetic Products

All cosmetic products must be notified to ÜTS. Examples:

Moisturizing creams
Shampoos
Sunscreens
Body lotions
Deodorants
Hair dyes
Makeup products
Perfumes

Definition of cosmetics: Products applied to the skin, hair, nails, lips, and external genital organs for the purpose of cleaning, perfuming, changing appearance, or correcting body odors.

Borderline Products

For some products, it is difficult to distinguish whether they are considered "cosmetics" or "medical products":

Baby products (e.g., diaper rash cream)
Anti-acne products
Teeth whiteners

These products are evaluated differently by the Ministry of Health or the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency based on their intended use and ingredients.

3. Does ÜTS Notification = Approved Product?

No. A notification to ÜTS indicates:

That the product has been legally declared,
That the responsible company is the manufacturer or importer.

But it does not mean the product's effectiveness or harmlessness has been approved.

In other words:
🟢 If there is a ÜTS notification → The product is legally registered.
🔴 But it is not an inspection of content, formula compliance, or a counterfeit check.

4. What Should a Consumer Do With This Information?

As a consumer, you can find out if a product has a ÜTS notification. To do this:

You can query the product's barcode at utsuygulama.saglik.gov.tr.
You can scan the QR code via the ÜTS mobile application.

However, this query:

Does not guarantee that the product you purchased is actually that registered product.
Cannot distinguish counterfeit products from marketplaces or third-party sellers.

5. How Does the Orjina System Close This Gap?

ÜTS is a system tied to the manufacturer. However, counterfeit products are usually:

Created by imitation at the end of the sales chain, i.e., by the seller.
This is where point-of-sale verification systems like Orjina come into play.

With Orjina:

The seller generates a unique UID code for the product.
The QR label is added to the shipping bag or product packaging.
By scanning this code, the consumer can access information such as:

Did the product really come from the seller?
Has this code been used before?
Is it verified by the brand?