Delice Natural Spring Salt is a pure, unrefined salt produced for over a century using traditional methods in the Delice district of Kırıkkale province, located in Türkiye's Central Anatolia Region. Applied for on November 15, 2018, the product was registered as a “designation of origin” on February 9, 2022, under the Industrial Property Law No. 6769 and granted geographical indication protection. The registering authority is the Kırıkkale Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

^{Delice Natural Spring Salt (AA)}

Geographical Scope and Usage

The production area is strictly limited to the Delice district of Kırıkkale province. The designation “Delice Natural Spring Salt” must appear on the product itself or its packaging. In cases where it cannot be used on the packaging, it must be visibly displayed at the production facility.

Production Process

The salt is obtained by allowing underground spring water, emerging naturally at the foothills of Kılıçözü Mountain without drilling, to settle and evaporate in a controlled manner. The process consists of the following steps:

• Underground water is transferred through pipes to settling pools, isolated from external contact.
• Settling pools are covered with greenhouse-type glass and lined with antibacterial membrane bases.
• The settled water is moved to greenhouse-type pools with a depth of 20 cm and evaporated under sunlight.
• The resulting water vapor is expelled via a vacuum system, and the crystallized salt is left to dry naturally.
• The salt is dried with hot air at 50–60 °C to achieve a moisture content of no more than 0.5% and prepared for sieving.

Sieving and Classification

The crystallized salt is classified into three categories based on grain size, determined through titration and sieve sizes:

• Ground Table Salt (Fine): Passes through a 1000-micron sieve.
• Grind-at-Table Salt (Mill Salt): Passes through a 2000-micron sieve. Marketed in glass mill bottles.
• Brine Salt: Passes through a 2500-micron sieve.

The pool bases are lined with food-grade antibacterial membranes, and the tops are covered with fully transparent greenhouse-type nylon to protect the underground water from rain and pests. Evaporation occurs naturally during the summer months, after which the pools are cleaned with pure water and maintained.

Physical and Chemical Properties

Delice Natural Spring Salt is white, odorless, cubic in structure, and soft in texture. It is unrefined and free of additives. Its main characteristics are:

• Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Content: 98.79% ± 1.21
• Sodium Content: 34.44% ± 0.98
• pH Value: 7.38 ± 0.22
• Color and Odor: White, odorless
• Foreign Matter: None
• Moisture Content (Total Solids): Minimum 0.301%, maximum 2%
• Iodine Content: Maximum 1.42 mg/kg
• Insoluble Matter in Water: Minimum 0.16%, maximum 0.5%

Inspection Mechanism

Production and marketing processes are inspected at least once a year under the coordination of the Kırıkkale Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The inspection body includes experts from the Delice District Governorate, Kırıkkale Provincial and District Directorates of Agriculture and Forestry, and Kırıkkale University Faculty of Engineering. Inspection criteria include the suitability of the water source, adherence to production methods, accuracy of physical and chemical properties, packaging and storage conditions, and proper use of the designation of origin.