Overview
- A 52-year-old vendor was fined €720 by the Amtsgericht Hannover for selling meat that failed to meet the legal 'Döner Kebab' designation, with the ruling legally binding though the fine amount can still be challenged.
- Food inspectors in September and November 2023 determined the products violated the standard, including a so-called lamb döner that contained an excessive proportion of young-bull beef.
- The court found the shop’s advertising misleading because menus and flyers were not corrected to reflect the actual meat, and the outlet is now closed.
- Lower Saxony’s consumer protection authority specifies that döner must be made from beef, veal, sheep or lamb with minced meat capped at 60 percent and only limited additional ingredients allowed.
- Separately, the Internationaler Dönerverband has withdrawn its EU application to register döner as a guaranteed traditional specialty, leaving national rules and practices in place.