NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090127/od_nm/us_kebabs;_ylt=A0wNcxW0M4NJ2KsAJQrtiBIF]http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/200...cxW0M4NJ2KsAJQrtiBIF


LONDON (Reuters) – Doner kebabs, standard takeaway fare for thousands of Britons following a night out, contain "shocking" amounts of salt and fat, and many may include meat that is not listed as an ingredient.

A survey by food standards officers found the average kebab contained 98 percent of a person's daily recommended salt intake, nearly 1,000 calories, equivalent to half a woman's daily food intake, and almost 150 percent of the daily amount of saturated fat.

The worst offending kebabs managed 1,990 calories before salad and sauces were added and almost 350 percent of a woman's saturated fat intake.

The Local Authority Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) which coordinated the research, said it had revealed "shocking figures" about the contents of doner kebabs.

"We would never consider kebabs part of a calorie-controlled diet, but the level of saturated fat and salt in some is a serious cause for concern," said Geoffrey Theobald, chairman of LACORS.

"While some people may think they are making sensible choices by ordering a small kebab, this study showed little difference between small and large kebab weight."

The study, which involved tests on 494 kebabs by officers from 76 local authorities across Britain, discovered many of the kebabs were wrongly labeled.

Tests found that 35 percent of labels listed meat that was different from that actually found in the kebab. Six tested positive for pork when it had not been declared as an ingredient including two marked as halal, or acceptable for Muslims.

"It is totally unacceptable that people with certain faiths are unknowingly eating meats that are against their beliefs," Theobald said. "Labeling is a safeguard for people to help them make informed choices, so need to be accurate."

The unhealthiest kebabs were found in northwest England, where the average calorie content was 1,101, with those in London and Northern Ireland the "healthiest" in terms of calories.

Myself, I like a good kebab, and pork is fine with me (heck, there's so much spice and fat in the whole thing, it could be soylent green for all I know).

Do you really care what's on the label, or if the meat you think is in your lunch is really some other kind of meat?

And how is a kebab "healthiest"? I bet the unhealthiest ones taste the best.

On the subject of "halal", here in the US there's a lot of law surrounding what may be declared "kosher", but precious little surrounding what may be called "halal". Is it different where you live, or is the whole thing just a form of labeling that you can get away with?

Fuck it, most people know exactly what to expect when you get a kebab. By and large, in the UK at least, most people are pissed when they buy one anyway. It's never going to be the healthiest meal in the world from the off.

Especially the ones which spend a lot of their time slowly rotating on a spit in front of a gas burner.

Mit Scharf and you're home and dry tbqh.

Anyways, what the hell is "mork"?

I remember a few years ago, it was discovered that McDonald's flavored the vegetable oil they fry their french fries with beef for better flavor. Vegans and Hindus were pissed. I laughed.

Fuck it, most people know exactly what to expect when you get a kebab. By and large, in the UK at least, most people are pissed when they buy one anyway. It's never going to be the healthiest meal in the world from the off.

Especially the ones which spend a lot of their time slowly rotating on a spit in front of a gas burner.

So the modern Sweeney Todd would put his victims into kebab...

Anyways, what the hell is "mork"?

Mork is from Ork. Nanu Nanu.

I care about accurate food labeling. Many people who are on restricted diets do.

Anyways, what the hell is "mork"?

Typo...

So the modern Sweeney Todd would put his victims into kebab...
Heard a story of a kebab place down Southampton way which was supposed to have done something along those lines.

So, yeah, the bugger probably would.

On the subject of "halal", here in the US there's a lot of law surrounding what may be declared "kosher", but precious little surrounding what may be called "halal". Is it different where you live, or is the whole thing just a form of labeling that you can get away with?

"Law" really isn't quite the right word, as it's not the government defining and enforcing which foods may be labeled kosher. Food maker A contacts rabbinical organization B to have their product(s) certified. That's why people who are serious about keeping kosher will sometimes want to see the hechsher on whatever it is you're selling them and will reject one that they don't recognize.

The same, AFAIK, applies to a designation of halal, it's just that the certification organizations aren't as well established. In any case, it's all private enterprise.

"Law" really isn't quite the right word, as it's not the government defining and enforcing which foods may be labeled kosher. Food maker A contacts rabbinical organization B to have their product(s) certified. That's why people who are serious about keeping kosher will sometimes want to see the hechsher on whatever it is you're selling them and will reject one that they don't recognize.

The same, AFAIK, applies to a designation of halal, it's just that the certification organizations aren't as well established. In any case, it's all private enterprise.

Perhaps not, but there are food labelling laws that are extremely stringent. I'm too lazy to do the research, but I wouldn't be surprised if labelling your food kosher if it did not have a recognized kosher certification would violate those laws.

Perhaps not, but there are food labelling laws that are extremely stringent. I'm too lazy to do the research, but I wouldn't be surprised if labelling your food kosher if it did not have a recognized kosher certification would violate those laws.

Kosher symbols are registered trademarks. If you use one without permission (i.e., without the required inspection), you get sued.

As Smunkee said, accurate food labeling matters. Whether you're not eating X food because you're allergic to it, or because it violates your religious beliefs, or because you just don't like it, or because your doctor has advised you to cut back on it, or just because, it's not at all reasonable to lie to people about what you're serving them.

I want a meal that contains 350% of my RDI of fat.

I want a meal that contains 350% of my RDI of fat.
I recommend a large kebab with both garlic mayo AND special sauce, then. That'll sort you right out.

Kosher symbols are registered trademarks. If you use one without permission (i.e., without the required inspection), you get sued.

Is there something that prevents anyone from just creating their own kosher certification and throwing it all over their products without any actual inspection?

Is there something that prevents anyone from just creating their own kosher certification and throwing it all over their products without any actual inspection?

People are very picky about what they view as a real symbol.

Here's an interesting writeup on kosher certification:

http://differentriver.com/archives/2005/05/06/kosher-trademarks-the-fda-and-electrical-safety/

Perhaps not, but there are food labelling laws that are extremely stringent. I'm too lazy to do the research, but I wouldn't be surprised if labelling your food kosher if it did not have a recognized kosher certification would violate those laws.

Laws that actually define what kosher is have (in all cases I know of) been struck down on Establishment-Clause grounds. All the existing laws basically say is that if you're going to call something kosher, you have to be clear as to how you established that. You're free to self-certify your food as kosher, but you just have to be clear that it's you who is making the designation and not a rabbinical organization of some sort. Since your self-certification is basically worthless, the only reason for doing so is to fool the gullible, but it's legal to do so. You could open an "Al's Kosher Cheeseburgers" stand, you just wouldn't get a lot of business from the observant Jewish community.

Also, it would be nice if this title didn't strongly suggest that Hotwife wants to eat Robin Williams's penis on a stick. Yeesh.

Also, it would be nice if this title didn't strongly suggest that Hotwife wants to eat Robin Williams's penis on a stick. Yeesh.

Where your mind takes you...:)

only eat them when i'm drunk... they're gross if you're sober. but i'm never drunk any more, so i guess i'll be better off without them these days. you always know they're awful food, but when you're drunk, you don't care.

the numbers are quite frightening though. 350% of your RDA for sat fats? holy crap.

Speaking of more pork...

http://www.bbqaddicts.com/bacon-explosion.html

Laws that actually define what kosher is have (in all cases I know of) been struck down on Establishment-Clause grounds. All the existing laws basically say is that if you're going to call something kosher, you have to be clear as to how you established that. You're free to self-certify your food as kosher, but you just have to be clear that it's you who is making the designation and not a rabbinical organization of some sort. Since your self-certification is basically worthless, the only reason for doing so is to fool the gullible, but it's legal to do so. You could open an "Al's Kosher Cheeseburgers" stand, you just wouldn't get a lot of business from the observant Jewish community.

Surely you could get a corrupt rabbi to come along for the ride, no?

Is there something that prevents anyone from just creating their own kosher certification and throwing it all over their products without any actual inspection?

I can't answer about Kosher, but right now things can say "gluten free" without any government definition in the US. That is to say you can write "gluten free" on anything you want and there's no food labeling law stopping you, however, if you say it's gluten free and I find out it's not I can sue you for lying and saying it was.

I don't know if "Kosher" is similar or not.

Surely you could get a corrupt rabbi to come along for the ride, no?

Sure, but you'd have to identify him or her (or his or her organization) as the one making the claim of kosher. That's why people serious about keeping kosher won't trust a mark that they don't know.

Sure, but you'd have to identify him or her (or his or her organization) as the one making the claim of kosher. That's why people serious about keeping kosher won't trust a mark that they don't know.

If there's no oversight into the certification process to confirm that they are doing the inspections the way they say they do the inspections, then what's keeping even the established kosher certifications from just lying?

As Smunkee said, accurate food labeling matters. Whether you're not eating X food because you're allergic to it, or because it violates your religious beliefs, or because you just don't like it, or because your doctor has advised you to cut back on it, or just because, it's not at all reasonable to lie to people about what you're serving them.

I agree with this. I don't always want to know what I eat, but it should be my choice not to look at the label. The label should be as accurate as possible, for all kinds of reasons.

Yes, food labeling matters. If it says it's fatfree and isn't, or has no calories and does, I'd be upset. I can also see why someone on a restricted diet for whatever reason would be upset.

If there's no oversight into the certification process to confirm that they are doing the inspections the way they say they do the inspections, then what's keeping even the established kosher certifications from just lying?

Self-interest, essentially. They are associations of rabbis, generally Orthodox rabbis, who are themselves interested in keeping kosher. They're not in the business of fooling themselves into eating treif. I suppose if one noticed that O.U. employees never ate O.U.-certified food one might wonder, but such a story would probably get out pretty quickly.

Anyways, what the hell is "mork"?

I want some mork pork. Sounds good.

Anyone who is surprised by the fact that kebabs aren't good for you is certainly a bit of a mork.

I want some mork pork. Sounds good.

Anyone who is surprised by the fact that kebabs aren't good for you is certainly a bit of a mork.

People talk in vowels when there's an erect cock in their mouth...

The whole thing isn't about how bad these are for people (that's apparent just by looking at them) but how they have been mislabeled so much, which is a bad and to my understanding unlawful thing.