LAMB SCAM? INSIDE EDITION INVESTIGATION FINDS THAT 23% OF LAMB DISHES ORDERED WEREN’T LAMB AT ALL – BUT INSTEAD CHEAPER MEATS INCLUDING GOAT

Airing Friday, November 11^th             

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New York, NY — November 11, 2016 – Lamb is a favorite at restaurants across the country – whether at lunch spots to-go or at fine restaurants for dinner. INSIDE EDITION wanted to know if you order lamb at restaurants, is that what you are really getting? To find out, the program did some testing by ordering lamb at 39 restaurants in Los Angeles and New York City – from tourist hotspots to popular food trucks.

The samples were packed and sent to a lab for DNA testing. The results were startling and disturbing. 23% of the so-called lamb was not lamb at all. What was it? Goat, beef, or chicken – all much cheaper than lamb.

At a popular food truck in Manhattan, a dish that was advertised as lamb, and looked like lamb, turned out not to be lamb. It was a grounded combo of chicken and beef. When INSIDE EDITION asked the restaurant if they were trying to pull a ‘lamb scam,’ an employee said, “No, we’re not. We just messed up on your order. Sorry about that, guys.”

At a restaurant in Los Angeles, INSIDE EDITION ordered a lamb stew, but it should have been called a goat stew. INSIDE EDITION’s Lisa Guerrero asked the restaurant why the lamb in the stew was actually goat meat.  She asked, “Yeah, there was goat in our lamb dish because we had it tested at a lab. So are you selling goat instead of lamb to your customers?” The employee said, “No, we never have goat.”

At a trendy spot in Manhattan, 100% lamb meatballs were on the menu, but tests showed that beef was mixed in. When INSIDE EDITION’s Guerrero asked the restaurant manager about it, he said that the meatballs were just lamb. He stated, “100% lamb. There is no beef in it.” But when Guerrero informed him that the meat was sent for DNA testing at a lab which determined that beef was mixed in, he replied, “You did? Well I didn’t know about that.”

Chef Alexander Pepetsas of Kellari Taverna in New York City warns that the wool is being pulled over your eyes more than you think. He says, “Everyone knows what a lamb chop looks like. Serving gyros or lamb and rice or those dishes where it’s more shredded lamb, it’s very easy to make a blend using such things as goat, which a lot of places use, but it’s not going to be lamb.”

How can you ensure that the lamb you order is actually lamb? Food expert Larry Olmsted told INSIDE EDITION that the less recognizable lamb is to the eye, the more likely you are to not be getting what you think.

For INSIDE EDITION’s full report, tune in on Friday, November 11. Check local listings for stations and times at www.insideedition.com.

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INSIDE EDITION is produced daily by Inside Edition Inc. and distributed by CBS Television Distribution.

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