Manchester United are currently under investigation by authorities after allegedly serving raw chicken at a recent event. Trafford Council looked into the matter when multiple people complained of being sick after eating the uncooked food. The Red Devils have reportedly declined to comment on the issue.
According to a report by The Athletic, people ate raw chicken at a recent event at Old Trafford. Although the exact nature of the event is not yet known, it was not during a United match. The Premier League club is also conducting their own probe into the incident. The investigation into the incident will determine if the infections actually occurred at the event at Old Trafford.
Food poisoning can affect people in different ways. Nevertheless, many issues attributed to the problem include fever, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Consuming raw chicken can also result in a Salmonella infection as well. The bacteria can even send someone to the hospital. Here in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that over 400 people die each year from Salmonella.
The club’s food hygiene rating for 2022 is currently a ‘5: Very Good’ by the local government. This is the highest grade available to businesses. Old Trafford’s annual food hygiene review was back in October. However, their official rating has not yet been clarified for the current year. Any business that serves food is subject to review by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on an annual basis.
The FSA is an independent organization that is responsible for enforcing food safety regulations In the United Kingdom. They specifically check how food is stored, handled, prepared, and served to the public.
Depending on the outcome of the aforementioned investigation, United could lose their high food hygiene rating. Businesses need to make serious and swift changes if they receive a low rating. If the FSA hands out a low enough rating, they could even shut down food operations at the establishment. This would obviously affect matchdays at the club’s stadium.
Like most soccer clubs, United raise significant revenue from hospitality at Old Trafford. Not only does this include actual games with over 70,000 fans in attendance, but also at other events. A potential downgrade in food hygiene rating would be costly for the club. Restoring a rating would also take a considerable amount time as well.
Along with the health concerns at Old Trafford, United’s team flight to Newcastle was canceled early Saturday morning. The Red Devils will face the Magpies Saturday evening at St James’ Park. The short flight was apparently off because of poor weather and technical difficulties. As a result of the issue, the team made a bus trip to the northeast instead.
The road trip between Manchester and Newcastle Upon Tyne is about 150 miles and should take around three hours. A flight to their destination would have taken 30 minutes to complete. Temperatures will be around freezing at kickoff for the big match. Both clubs are attempting to get closer to a top four place in the top flight table with a win.
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