German kebab sales slashed after rotten meat scandal

BERLIN, Sept 3 (Reuters) Doner kebabs sales have slumped in Germany after a rotten meat scandal scared consumers away from the meal, a fast food staple so prevalent some regard it as the national dish.

In Berlin alone there are more than 1,500 kebab stands and up to 40 tonnes a day of the meat dish, which originated in Turkey, is usually eaten. Its popularity has been partly due to the large number of Turks living in Germany.

The debacle over doner kebabs erupted last week when a Bavarian wholesale meat producer confessed to passing off 180 tonnes of meat unfit for human consumption as quality produce and selling it to retailers across Germany.

Europe's doner kebab trade body said their members were being unfairly blamed by the media.

''Doner producers are being scapegoated for the ills of the meat-producing industry,'' Ataveser Sir, Berlin-based president of the Association of Doner Producers in Europe, told Reuters.

Over the past several days German media has been flooded with gruesome stories of spoiled meat accompanied by pictures of unappetising doner kebabs.

Remzi Kaplan, owner of one of Germany's top kebab companies, said that only doner sellers were being targeted by the authorities and the media, even though all sorts of meat, including sausages and hamburgers, could be affected.

Kaplan said sales were down by ''at least'' 10-15 per cent and Sir agreed consumption had fallen, but said it was still to early to determine the precise drop.

The meal, which can be made of lamb, beef or chicken, comprises slices of meat compressed on a rotating skewer. The food is cooked as it turns and the meat is shaved off as required.

Neither Sir nor Kaplan would say whether there was an anti-Turkish aspect to the apparent campaign against doner meat.

The Ministry of Health, Environment and Consumer Protection declined to comment.

Despite stringent health office controls, many consumers are wary of the kebab.

''You never know what's in there,'' said Karoline Meier, an 18-year-old student living in Berlin.

REUTERS BJR KN0037