Manchester United is under severe criticism for serving undercooked chicken to guests during the ‘SHE’ event at Old Trafford on November 21, 2023. According to the Manchester Evening News, 30 attendees were affected, and the incident has led to a significant drop in the football club’s food hygiene rating from five to one.
The club prepared around 300 pieces of chicken for the event, but only three trays underwent proper checks. Seventeen trays, containing approximately 255 pieces of chicken, were not inspected, and their temperature did not meet the required standards before being served.
Despite initial complaints from eight attendees, the issue was not addressed, leading to 30 individuals reporting the same problem in both ‘VIP’ and ‘non-VIP’ areas. Food hygiene inspectors visited the club three days later, and the Food Standards Agency subsequently called for ‘major improvement’ at Manchester United.
The report titled ‘Food Hygiene and/or Food Standards Intervention’ read: “This puts persons eating the food at risk of consuming campylobacter and/or salmonella as the food has not undergone a thorough cooking process and therefore is unfit for human consumption. You must ensure food is thoroughly cooked before it is served to customers.”
Notwithstanding these reservations, the authorities gave the structure and its amenities a “good” rating for cleanliness and condition.
However, United have claimed it was an “isolated incident” and assured that the negligence has been addressed. A spokesperson for the club said: “Manchester United has one of the largest and most experienced food and beverage operations in world sport, with more than 250,000 people dining at the stadium restaurants and over 300 external events successfully delivered each year.
“Every matchday, the catering is enjoyed by over 8,000 people, served by 28 kitchens across the stadium, and the club is proud of the high standards and the 5-star food hygiene record which had been awarded to us for the past eight years. This was an isolated incident, and the point of failure was identified and addressed. Everyone at the club is determined to regain our 5-star food hygiene status as quickly as possible. To support that objective, we are conducting an independent food audit to identify any further opportunities for improvement.”
December proved to be a challenging month for Manchester United, as they suffered defeats to Newcastle, Bournemouth, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Additionally, they faced elimination from the Champions League after a loss to Bayern Munich at home.
The new year started on a positive note with a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup, but their momentum was halted by a 2-2 draw with Tottenham in the latest Premier League outing. Currently on a brief break, United is set to return to action on January 28 in an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Newport County.