72-Hour Retained Sample Discipline

VELTORI CATERING LİMİTED ŞİRKETİ ("VELTORI" or the "Company") treats food safety in executive dining as a systematic operational discipline supported by applicable legislation, HACCP-based procedures, verifiable records and risk-based internal quality controls.

This Protocol describes VELTORI's retained-sample, controlled-storage, lot-traceability and internal verification framework under Turkish Law No. 5996, the applicable Food Hygiene Regulation, the current Turkish Food Codex Microbiological Criteria Regulation and other applicable food legislation.

The 72-hour retention period, sampling quantity and related operational controls described herein are VELTORI internal quality and risk-management standards unless a specific statutory requirement is expressly identified. They are not presented as universal statutory obligations.

1. Operational Purpose of Retained Samples

A retained sample is an internal verification and traceability tool designed to support retrospective review of production processes, preserve an appropriate reference specimen where required by VELTORI procedures, and link food-safety controls with relevant production records.

Sampling activities are determined according to the nature and risk profile of the food, HACCP-based procedures, applicable legislation, applicable sampling plans and, where relevant, competent-authority requirements.

2. Controlled Sampling & Sealing Procedure

Where retained sampling is required under VELTORI's internal quality procedures, representative samples are collected under controlled hygienic conditions and appropriately sealed.

• VELTORI Internal Sample Quantity: Where sampling is specified by internal procedure, an appropriate representative quantity is retained according to the product and intended verification purpose. The 250-gram quantity stated in this Protocol is a VELTORI internal operational specification and is not presented as a universal statutory minimum.
• Suitable Sample Containers: Samples are transferred into food-contact-suitable, hygienic containers or single-use sampling bags capable of preserving sample integrity and are securely closed.
• Cross-Contamination Controls: Sampling is performed using appropriate hand hygiene, sanitized equipment, clean work surfaces and protective measures designed to minimize unintended cross-contamination.

3. Lot Identification & Traceability Architecture

Each retained sample is identified in a manner that allows it to be associated with the relevant production record and, where applicable, assigned a permanent or digital traceability identifier.

Traceability records may be linked to relevant raw-material receiving records, production records, retained-sample records, packaging records and delivery information where required by the applicable quality system.

4. Controlled Cold-Chain Retention

Retained samples designated for internal storage are transferred to controlled, access-managed storage areas appropriately separated from routine culinary staging activities.

• Controlled Cold Storage: Samples are maintained under temperature conditions appropriate to the product and applicable storage requirements. VELTORI's internal target range for the retained-sample system is 0°C to +4°C.
• Microbiological Control Approach: Controlled refrigeration is intended to support microbiological stability and preservation of appropriate storage conditions; refrigeration is not represented as an absolute guarantee that all microbial growth is eliminated.
• Digital Temperature Monitoring: Where applicable, retained-sample storage equipment is monitored through suitable digital sensors and relevant records may be retained within the internal quality system.

5. 72-Hour Internal Retention Cycle

Under VELTORI's internal quality and risk-management standard, retained samples designated for storage may be maintained under controlled conditions for up to 72 hours from the relevant production record.

This 72-hour period is stated as a VELTORI internal operational standard. Where applicable legislation, official control requirements, laboratory instructions or competent-authority directions establish different sampling, storage, testing or retention requirements, those requirements take precedence.

At the end of the internal retention period, and provided that no regulatory inquiry, food-safety incident, quality investigation or contractual requirement requires continued retention, samples are disposed of in accordance with applicable hygiene, waste-management and internal recordkeeping procedures.

6. Laboratory Analysis & Audit Readiness

Microbiological sampling and testing are conducted according to the nature of the food and the applicable regulatory sampling plans, reference methods, HACCP-based procedures and, where relevant, competent-authority requirements.

Subject to official-control powers, contractual terms, confidentiality obligations, sample integrity, traceability requirements and applicable law, corporate clients may request appropriate quality or laboratory review of relevant retained-sample records.

Where a sample is submitted for laboratory examination, appropriate transport, temperature control, labeling and, where required, chain-of-custody procedures are applied.

7. Internal Verification & Record Governance

Retained-sample records may be associated with production batch, product identity, production timing, storage conditions and relevant quality controls. These records support investigation of food-safety events and appropriate corrective-action processes where required.

Sampling, storage and disposal records are maintained in accordance with VELTORI's document-control, data-security, confidentiality and internal quality-system requirements.