EU Parliament fails to skewer kebab meat phosphates

STRASBOURG, France: The European Parliament on Wednesday narrowly failed to block a proposal to allow the use of phosphates in kebab meat, an additive which critics say is linked to heart disease.

As a result, the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, can now authorise the addition of phosphates to “vertical meat spits” — the official EU term for the rotating towers of seasoned lamb and chicken beloved of late-night drinkers across the continent.

Phosphates are largely banned in food in Europe, but exceptions are made for some dishes including certain types of sausage — and now kebabs. A resolution to block the proposal, put forward by the parliament’s public health and food safety committee, got 373 votes from MEPs sitting in the eastern French city of Strasbourg — just three short of the majority it needed.