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A significant food fraud case has come to light involving Kismet Kebabs, one of the UK’s largest doner kebab producers. Investigations revealed that many takeaway kebabs, advertised as containing lamb, were actually made from a mixture of goat meat, skin, and fat. This deception has been compared to the notorious 2013 horsemeat scandal due to the scale and nature of the fraud. Kismet Kebabs, which supplies fast food outlets nationwide, was fined £500,000 after admitting to fraud linked to practices dating back to 2021. The company, estimated to have profited around £6 million from this activity, stated the issues occurred under a previous leadership five years ago.
Concerns arose when trading standards officers in Swansea began random DNA testing of doner kebabs purchased locally in 2020 and 2021. Tests showed that some kebabs labeled as containing up to 70% lamb actually had less than 10% sheep DNA present. Swansea trading standards officer Rhys Harries commented, “I think some customers won’t be surprised there’s a lot of skin and fat in these products – but I don’t think many people will be expecting goat.” He further compared the case to the horsemeat scandal, highlighting the large volume of fraudulent products released from the factory. When authorities raided Kismet’s factory in Essex in May 2021, they discovered almost no lamb meat on site—only pallets of goat, trim with high fat content, skin, and offcuts, all processed to resemble kebab meat.
Inside the production line, it was observed that trays of the same minced doner meat were packaged differently—one labeled as 70% lamb, another as 50% lamb—despite identical contents. Harries described the mislabeling plainly: “We were seeing labels that bore no resemblance to what they were actually putting in [to the kebabs]. This is straightforward food fraud. They were charging wholesalers and consumers a premium price for something that’s full of rubbish.” Further investigation uncovered recipe cards from Kismet showing some kebabs contained no lamb meat at all, instead using goat, beef fat, and chicken. Harries concluded, “It was so wrong – it had to be fraudulent.”
In court, Kismet Kebabs was ordered to pay costs of £259,298 alongside the £500,000 fine. Judge Huw Rees condemned the firm for a “considerable dishonesty” spanning a lengthy period. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) emphasized that investigations such as these are part of targeted sampling programs, and overall food safety and labeling standards in the UK remain high. Andrew Quinn, head of the FSA’s national food crime unit, stated, “Food must be safe and accurately labelled, wherever it’s sold, and we take food fraud and mislabelling seriously.” Speaking on behalf of the company, lawyer Stuart Jessop acknowledged past failings, saying Kismet had “taken its eye off the ball” but had implemented improvements and had a long history of successful operation. As of 2024, Kismet Kebabs still holds accreditation from BRCGS, a global food safety standard, which was reviewed and maintained following the court proceedings. The company maintains that the fraudulent activities reflect only past management and do not represent its current operational standards
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