Lamb fraud firm fined £500,000 after four-year investigation

An Essex kebab manufacturer has been fined £500,000 after products sold as lamb kebabs were found to contain skin, fat and other meats.

Kismet Kebabs pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation following an investigation by Swansea Trading Standards.

The company was also ordered to pay £259,298 in costs.

The investigation began with sampling of takeaway products in Swansea in 2021.

Rhys Harries, from Swansea Trading Standards, told Farmers Weekly that officers initially discovered kebabs being sold as lamb that contained other meats.

Investigators then began to sample products supplied by wholesalers.

“The labels were saying things like 78% lamb, but in fact, it was far less in most instances. It was more like 5-10%,” said Mr Harries.

An unannounced inspection at the manufacturer’s premises in May 2021 uncovered what was described as widespread substitution of ingredients.

“What we were finding on site was products which you couldn’t really describe as meat,” Mr Harries said.

He said officers found “lots of skin and boxes of fat,” together with trimmings and cuts of goat, beef and turkey being used in products marketed as lamb kebabs.

The investigation concluded the practice had been taking place for years.

Trading Standards calculated that turnover during the charging period totalled around £32.5m, with profits from lamb kebab sales estimated at around £6m.

Products were distributed nationwide and to some overseas customers.

Mr Harries compared the case to the horsemeat scandal.

“People expect what’s on the label to be in the product,” he said.

The case also highlights the impact of food fraud on genuine livestock producers.

Referring to premium products such as PGI Welsh Lamb, Mr Harries said: “Those people selling those premium products put their time and effort into making that product special, and someone’s undercutting them. How can you compete with it?”

Reginald Bevan, deputy head of the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit, which supported Swansea Council with the case, said: “This case demonstrates how effective partnership working can identify and tackle non-compliance, helping to protect consumers and maintain confidence in the food system.”

The court heard the company argue it had made significant changes since the offending period, while the judge noted improvements had been made in the years since the offences occurred.