The unanswered question of Doner Kebab production In UK!
If we are to discuss about the Doner Kebab production in UK then the first statistics that we ought to mention is that as of 2015, there were 20,000 kebab shops open for business in the UK where over 70,000 people are working as employees. Needless to say, the number has surely increased in the present times. Experts have also estimated that over 1.3 billion kebabs are purchased nationwide, every day. However, even with such a huge production capacity and an equally huge consumer base, one question is still unanswered by most of the people who gorge on this delicious food quite frequently. And the question is what’s really there inside a Doner kebab? Well, this is exactly what we will try to search in this post. Read on as I will be covering up the various aspects of this famous Kebab delicacy along with a brief introduction on its foundation. So, let’s get started.
What Is A Doner Kebab: The Foundation And The Process! The Doner Kebab is known in many names all over the world such as donair, döner or donner kebab. A lot of people believe that this spit-roasted, thinly sliced meat which is
brown in color is usually made from processed lamb meat with some seasoning. Although, the meat in the kebab can contain lamb, beef, veal or chicken but pork will always be excluded. Identifying the meat of the kebab just by tasting it is quite difficult because of the flavoring. However the UK Trading Standards authority has surprisingly discovered that the ingredients of these kebabs are not always abide by the assumptions of the consumers. Hence, a huge number of people who enjoy these kebabs quite often might not really know what meat is being used in the kebab. Now, if we look at the other attributes with which it is often served around the world, it becomes even harder to identify the actual taste of the meat. People who prefer halal meat generally opt for the outlets that specifically serve halal doner kebabs. This is why this food is always in demand as it can be sold in a number of different forms.
What’s Inside A Doner Kebab? Doner kebab production in UK has become quite a remarkable business and hence the discussion for its actual foundation is definitely apt. In order to find out what meat is actually being used in most of the Kebab shops, a trading standards investigation has pointed that the kebab served by most of the fast-food shops do not always contain the meat as stated on the label from suppliers. After a more thorough investigation of the kebab meat, it has been found that in 15% of the cases the meat was not only lamb as stated on the label but contained other products like beef and in 6 cases they have even found pork in the mixture. In a separate investigation, the investigators took ten Doner kebab samples where only three were 100% lamb. The rest of the samples were just bulked up with beef, chicken and other ingredients.
Proper Labeling Of Doner Kebabs: To avoid such scenarios all the Doner kebabs should be labeled properly based on the ingredients. In the case where the beef was found, it would have been a pretty rough thing to encounter since this would surely displease the South Asian meat lovers who do not eat beef on religious grounds. Similarly the finding of pork will also displease Muslims as they do not eat pork in any form. Hence, with proper labeling such scenarios will not happen with Brit-Asian people who consume these kebabs. The Bottom Line: Whilst investigators are always privy about the products that are being sold in the outlets and also prosecuting such counters who are misleading consumers, the main problem still lies with the manufacturers. To avoid all sorts of confusion, they need to label the kebabs correctly in terms of its real contents with percentages. This will create much more transparency and less confusion. Hence, as a food lover and consumer you need to be extra careful about which outlet you are choosing for your kebabs. One of my friend once recommended a convenient store called Ace4Kebabs who have also won many accolades for their outstanding contribution in the kebab industry. So, this can be a start for you if you are looking for authentic Doner kebabs with lamb and nothing else. So what more would you like to know about the Doner kebab production in UK? Mention them in the comments section and I will be addressing them in the upcoming posts. Also, keep following this space for more related updates.