Kebab company fined over Rs 6.3 crore for selling lamb that was 'mostly skin and fat' in UK

A major British kebab manufacturer has been heavily penalized for deceiving the public by selling "lamb" kebabs that were largely composed of skin, fat, and less expensive meats. Kismet Kebabs Ltd, based in Chelmsford, Essex, received a substantial fine of £500,000 (approximately Rs 6.3 crore) after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation.

The court heard that the fraudulent practice came to light following a regional sampling initiative in late 2020 and early 2021. Food safety officers inspecting kebabs sold at local establishments discovered that Kismet's products did not align with the descriptions on their labels. Subsequent laboratory analyses confirmed significant discrepancies between the advertised and actual meat content.

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Much of what was being described as lamb was in fact skin and fat.

Lee Reynolds, prosecuting for Swansea Council, stated that the company had misled wholesalers, retailers, and consumers by misrepresenting the meat quantities. "Much of what was being described as lamb was in fact skin and fat," Reynolds told the court. "The company routinely and knowingly purchased goat, lamb fat, skin, mutton, and ovine [sheep meat], and once processed through their factory sold it as lamb."

Further investigations involving the National Food Crime Unit and the Food Standards Agency revealed a history of labeling anomalies. An audit of one product, a lamb doner kebab advertised as containing 87% lamb, found it was only 51% meat and 40% fat. In May 2021, a raid on Kismet's factory uncovered serious issues with production, packaging, and labeling, with invoices showing minimal genuine lamb purchases and a reliance on skin, fat, goat, and "lower-grade 'meat' products that cannot be called meat as per the legal definition."

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The company routinely and knowingly purchased goat, lamb fat, skin, mutton, and ovine [sheep meat], and once processed through their factory sold it as lamb.