Turkish Federation seeks EU certification for traditional döner kebab

The International Döner Federation from Turkey has applied to the European Commission to recognise döner kebab as a "traditional speciality." This means that the kebab many people know might disappear in the future.

Huriye Özen, spokeswoman for the International Döner 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.

The application submitted by Özen to the European Commission could dramatically change the name, price, and composition of döner kebab.

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

According to the new regulations, kebabs would be recognised as a "traditional speciality," 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, döner kebabs can only bear this name if they meet certain requirements.

According to the new guidelines, a traditional döner 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, yoghurt, salt, and spices. The product must be sold under a different name if other additives are used or the allowable percentage of ground meat is exceeded.

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