Manchester United have been hit with further cause for concern in the hygiene department, just months after allegations that guests were served raw chicken.
Back in December, the Food Standards Agency slashed the club's rating, bringing it down from 'very good' to 'major improvement necessary'. The measures are understood to have followed a November inspection, three days after guests at United's Stadium became unwell and a few weeks before Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival as the club's new part-owner.
The guests were at United's stadium for the Safety Health Environment Show, with reports at the time pointing to undercooked chicken thighs as potentially being responsible. A spokesperson for Trafford Council confirmed in late 2023 that United's hygiene rating had fallen from five to one.
Now, following a separate inspection, more issues have come to light. While United's rating has risen, it now sits at four rather than five thanks to certain issues remaining in place.
According to The Mail, the recent inspection led to the discovery of mould, as well as grease 'dripping down a wall'. United have been told to ensure a deep clean takes place, the same publication indicates.
Premier League odds and betting tips
"The club has undertaken a lot of work since [the previous inspection]," the latest report reads, per The Mail. "However, the continued demonstration of the implementation of revised procedures is required to enable the confidence in management score to be increased further.
“As the report states, significant improvement work was undertaken by the club to increase our rating to 4 stars between November and February," a club spokesman told Mirror Football . "This is an incremental process, and we are confident we will regain our 5-star rating at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Share your thoughts about the latest findings in the comments section
Manchester United's hygiene rating has climbed but there were still some issues (AFP via Getty Images)United have pointed out it's unusual for an establishment to go from a 1-star rating to a 5-star rating as incremental improvements need to be shown over a period of time. The club is expected to apply for a further assessment and is confident that the rating will be upgraded to 5 stars.
Following the initial downgrading in December, Manchester United provided the following statement to Mirror Football : "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."
DON'T SCRAP REPLAYS!
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
