Crawley kebab shop fined £10,000 for serving food containing milk to customer with allergy

Nihat Koksal, the owner of Troy Kebab in Crawley High Street, made misleading statements about the meat content. Credit: Google Maps

A Crawley kebab shop and its owner which sold a kebab containing milk to a customer who declared they had a milk allergy, have been fined £10,005 for violations of food safety and standards.

Nihat Koksal, the owner of Troy Kebab in Crawley High Street, made misleading statements about the meat content in the takeaway’s doner kebab.

A Trading Standards officer visited the shop in August 2022, declaring a milk allergy, but despite being issued with food safety advice, the shop failed to check packaging or documentation before serving the kebab.

The kebab was falsely advertised as a 'lamb doner’, but analysis of the kebab found it contained both milk and mixed meats and only 28.7% lamb, meaning the kebab was both unsafe and mis-described.

Mr Koksal, was fined a total of £10,005.

Analysis of the kebab found it contained both milk and mixed meats and only 28.7% lamb. Credit: PA

Richard Sargeant, West Sussex County Council Trading Standards Team Manager, said: “This establishment displayed significant irresponsibility by serving a kebab with milk, even after being informed of the customer's milk allergy.

"Consumers have a right to rely on accurate food descriptions from businesses, and we urge all food retailers to take this conviction as a cautionary example and ensure the accuracy of their product descriptions.”

Cllr Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, said: “This case emphasises the council’s commitment to uphold food safety and standards.

"It is an excellent example of the work our Trading Standards officers do every day to keep our residents safe - one of our key commitments in our Council Plan.”

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