Kebab houses selling other meats as lamb

12:06pm Sunday 27th January 2013 in News By Kimberly Middleton, Acting chief reporter

Kebab houses across Sussex have been selling veal, chicken and beef disguised as lamb. 

As some beef burgers have been revealed to contain up to 29 per cent horse meat, kebabs have come under the microscope of Trading Standards officials.

In initial tests, eight out of ten shops in West Sussex were selling doner meat which was mixed with that of other animals.

Officers said offending shops were mainly in the county’s larger towns.

In East Sussex, the results from meat which has been tested are still being collated, but early signs already show chicken meat in kebabs described as lamb. 

Rob Scovell, the lead officer in West Sussex, said: “If you say lamb kebab it has to be lamb. Doner kebab is also regarded to mean lamb. 

“What we found when we visited a large proportion of the kebab shops around the county was more than trace amounts of other meats.”

West Sussex’s trading standards team said most of the problems were due to sellers not understanding the rules rather than deliberately setting out to deceive the public. 

Mr Sovell said: “We found that those who produce meat in-house changed from say beef to chicken, and there would be a bit in the middle where the two meats mixed together. 

“But predominantly it was people buying meat which was mainly lamb but had a percentage of other meat too.

“It was on the label but the sellers didn’t read it, or change their menus.

“It is nothing like 50 per cent horse meat, it was a lack of understanding for the most part.”

He said about a quarter of the 38 outlets were selling lamb mixed with other meats. 

All of the sellers corrected the problems. East Sussex County Council is testing meat from 24 kebab outlets.

West Sussex County Council’s cabinet member for public protection, Christine Field, said: “We want to remind traders that misdescribing food is a serious matter. 

“What goes on sale for the public to eat has to be what has been described.”

Anyone who has any concerns should get in touch with Trading Standards officers through Citizens Advice on 08454 040506 or www.westsussex.gov.uk.

Comments(17)

Rocco10 says...
12:19pm Sun 27 Jan 13

I'm not a veggie so I must admit to not being that bothered. Just as long as it's been properly handled and cooked, and doesn't contain any of the outlets former employees then I'll eat it.

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The internets wisest man says...
1:01pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Be safe folks, remember, if you're drunk enough to eat a doner kebab you probably won't be sober enough to drive the next day; and if you're even drunk enough to keep it down then remember to put some loo roll in the fridge before going to bed.

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DC78 says...
1:04pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Yes, we all know since you reported this same 'story' 2 days ago.

http://www.theargus.
co.uk/news/10185366.
Veal_found_in_kebabs
_in_Sussex__Trading_
Standards_officers_s
ay/

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John Steed says...
2:01pm Sun 27 Jan 13

the number of wholesale suppliers is surpisingly limited, the same as in the chicken supplies, tracing the suppliers should present no problem locating the source of manufacture equally straightforward, now lets have some names there is no excuse when it allegedly is printed on the label.

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clubrob6 says...
2:19pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Now come on folks did you really think a doner was 100% lamb?Like burgers doner meat varies widely i like a doner kabab when out in shoreham but certain places in brighton the seagulls end up with it or the bin.Ive often wondered what they do with the doner meat when shop is closed,leave it where it is?put it in a fridge?either way its going from hot to cold which cant be good cooking practices.Is it the booze that makes me ill the next day or that doner kabab?certainly ive found food outlets near certain clubbing streets in brighton have poorer doner meat probably because they think we are too drunk to realise.But we all dont get drunk.

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Roundbill says...
5:06pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Clearly - I'm guessing you're on the "Bolivian marching powder" rather than the booze right now Rob: am I right?

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rolivan says...
7:51pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Whenever I see a block of Kebab meat it reminds me of Spam which as a child I had put in front of me to eat.I would now eat neither.what is most worrying is what the shops do at the end of the day are they allowed to reheat what is left on the spit?

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Plunge says...
8:08pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Hmmmm...kebab....

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clubrob6 says...
9:02pm Sun 27 Jan 13

Roundbill wrote:
Clearly - I'm guessing you're on the "Bolivian marching powder" rather than the booze right now Rob: am I right?
Bolivian marching powder? havnt a clue what that is so i think you are WRONG.Thinking of going for couple of pints though doing my bit to keep the local economy going.

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Thetruthhurts101 says...
10:51pm Sun 27 Jan 13

I've got a horse for sale!!! Any offers? Already asked tesco they said they got enough!! Only want a fiver for it can't afford too feed it no more one day left then giving it too travellers

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Dr Pork says...
8:08am Mon 28 Jan 13

I always carry a doner card so that, should some tragic event befall me, any part of me can be used as kebab meat.
It's the community spirited thing to do.

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D5 says...
9:04am Mon 28 Jan 13

clubrob6 wrote:
Now come on folks did you really think a doner was 100% lamb?Like burgers doner meat varies widely i like a doner kabab when out in shoreham but certain places in brighton the seagulls end up with it or the bin.Ive often wondered what they do with the doner meat when shop is closed,leave it where it is?put it in a fridge?either way its going from hot to cold which cant be good cooking practices.Is it the booze that makes me ill the next day or that doner kabab?certainly ive found food outlets near certain clubbing streets in brighton have poorer doner meat probably because they think we are too drunk to realise.But we all dont get drunk.
The doner stays out,just look through the window.
Awesome food eh?
Re-heated bits of different animals.

Perhaps people will work out what those "hard" bits are one day?
hint - bones,skull,hooves etc.

Thank science i'm Vegan.

Also did anybody notice the article mentioning the excuse that it was all a "misunderstanding" - in other words some people cannot read?

Politically correct kebabs.

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baron Von Skidmark says...
10:03am Mon 28 Jan 13

Well a thousand flies can't be wrong.

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baron Von Skidmark says...
10:03am Mon 28 Jan 13

Well a thousand flies can't be wrong.

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Flippin Burghers says...
3:17pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Who are these people buying the meat off - Hilary Briss with his "special stuff"?

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LargeAndInCharge says...
12:08pm Tue 29 Jan 13

The truth is we really don't know what's in 90% of the food we eat, and if we listened to everything that was being "revealed" we wouldn't eat anything!!

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NickBrt says...
11:34am Mon 4 Feb 13

Can't we make kebabs out of green politicians?

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