Scandal in the UK — Döner Kebab Producer for Years Used Goat Meat Instead of Lamb
A food scandal has erupted in the UK involving one of the largest döner kebab producers — Kismet Kebabs. The investigation revealed that for several years, products sold as lamb kebabs actually contained very little of this meat, the BBC reports .
Checks using DNA analysis showed that kebabs, whose packaging indicated 70-87% lamb, actually contained less than 10% components related to sheep meat. Instead, the composition included goat meat, animal fat, skin, and meat trimmings.
Suspicions arose after trading standards officers in Swansea conducted random checks of products in local fast-food establishments. Later, inspectors visited the company's factory in Essex and found that lamb was hardly used there. According to the investigation, raw materials were minced into a single mass and then packaged into various containers labeled with high lamb content.
In court, the company pleaded guilty to food fraud. The court fined Kismet Kebabs £500,000 and ordered it to pay approximately another £259,000 in court costs. According to investigators' estimates, the company could have gained about £6 million in profit due to the deception.
Representatives of Kismet Kebabs stated that the violations relate to events in 2021 and an earlier period when the company operated under different management. They claim that significant changes were made to production and the control system after the inspection.
The British Food Standards Agency noted that this case was the result of a targeted investigation, and the overall level of food safety in the country remains high. Nevertheless, the case has already become one of the most high-profile in food fraud since the horsemeat scandal in Europe in 2013.
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