Doner kebab faces EU regulations: A twist in traditional tastes

The International Doner Federation from Turkey has applied to the European Commission to recognize doner kebab as a "traditional specialty." This means that the kebab many people know might disappear in the future.

Huriye Ozen, spokeswoman for the International Doner Federation, wants to ban the sale of kebabs in Germany in their current form. The spokeswoman claims that the German kebab deviates from traditional Turkish standards - reports aussiedlerbote.de.

Ozen's application to the European Commission could dramatically change the doner kebab's name, price, and composition.

We have started the registration of the traditional doner kebab. This includes information about the type of meat used, the method of marinating, and the exact cooking time - explains Huriye Ozen in an interview with the service.

According to the new regulations, kebabs would be recognized as a "traditional specialty," which would be problematic for the German kebab industry, which does not always adhere to the standards regarding ground meat content. If the European Commission approves the application, doner kebabs can only bear this name if they meet certain requirements.

According to the new guidelines, a traditional doner kebab should be made exclusively from beef, veal, or lamb. The amount of ground meat should not exceed 60%. Permitted additives are onions, oil, eggs, milk, yogurt, salt, and spices. If other additives are used or the allowable percentage of ground meat is exceeded, the product must be sold under a different name.

If the application is accepted, doner kebab will attain a status in Europe similar to Serrano ham from Spain or halloumi from Cyprus, products protected by the EU as "traditional specialties."