Essex-based Kismet Kebabs, one of the largest kebab manufacturers in the UK, has been fined £500,000 by Swansea Council following an investigation into fraudulent food mislabelling.
The investigation was first launched by Swansea Trading Standards in 2020/21 after samples taken during a regional exercise raised concerns that products labelled as lamb kebabs did not match their declared contents.
Officers found that over a sustained period, Kismet Kebabs had passed off its products to food outlets across the UK with labels that falsely described the meat content.
Products marketed and sold as lamb were found in many cases to contain little or no lamb, with other lower-grade ingredients, including skin, fat and other meats, used instead.
The investigation uncovered that the firm had misled wholesalers, retailers and consumers, who believed they were purchasing higher-quality products than those actually supplied.
Last week, the business pleaded guilty to one offence of fraud by false representation at Swansea Crown Court, and was also ordered to pay £259,298 in costs.
Swansea Council said the case demonstrates its determination to protect consumers and legitimate businesses from serious food fraud.
Rhys Harries, Swansea Council’s trading standards team leader said: “We became aware of the actions of Kismet Kebabs when we carried out some city-wide analysis of food being offered to consumers in Swansea.
Our investigations highlighted serious discrepancies with the food labelling of the product compared to the results of our analysis and prompted our follow-up actions against the food manufacturer. Consumers deserve to know that what’s going into the food they buy is what the label says it is.”
He continued: “The £500,000 fine imposed by Swansea Crown Court, along costs of £259,298.67 reflects the seriousness of the offending and follows the company’s guilty plea to the offences.
We hope that the fine and costs serve as a deterrent to other businesses who might consider selling falsely labelled food in this way.”
