End of the kebab? Takeaway owners furious at new EU crackdown

The bloc is attempting to clamp down on phosphates used in the huge slabs of meat kept in kebab shops around the continent.

But eurocrats have been accused of doner discrimination after it was revealed they would not be considering the same ban for some types of sausages that also contain the chemical.

Baris Donmez, who owns a kebab shop in Berlin, said: “They are looking for ways to hurt Turkish businesses here.

“Such a ban would be the biggest pile of garbage imaginable.”

EU officials are attempting the ban after studies linked phosphates to cardiovascular disease – however kebab makers say the additive is a necessary element and keeps the meat juicy and flavourful.

Kenan Koyuncu of the German Association of Doner Kebab Producers claimed the move could kill off the industry.

He said: “If the European Parliament gets its way, this would be the death sentence for the entire doner kebab industry in the European Union.”

The proposal has already found some opposition from representatives in the bloc, with the European Parliament’s health committee voting 32-22 in opposition to the ban.

It will now be offered to the entire European parliament, who will vote in two weeks time as the proposal travels through the intricate Brussels bureaucracy.

It comes as the growing success of takeaway restaurants is being threatened by a shortage of skilled workers, coupled with rising inflation and business rates.

Earlier this year the British Takeaway Campaign published research showing that takeaway restaurants contributed £4.5billion to economic output last year and currently employs more than 230,000 workers. 

At the time Graham Corfield, managing director at Just Eat, which co-founded the campaign, said: “Everyone loves their local takeaway, but few would realise these small, often family-run businesses are behind so much of the UK’s economic growth. 

“British consumers are now enjoying North African and Middle Eastern takeaways – with orders for Syrian food increasing ten-fold since 2014.

“That’s alongside firm favourites like Italian, Chinese and Indian. 

“This report shows that with the right policies from the Government, the takeaway sector can thrive.”