Food safety experts warn that the sauce served in some cafes across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with rotisserie chicken may cause food poisoning. Several cafes collect the fat dripping from the machine into a special container and then serve it as a sauce.
Food safety expert Bobby Krishna noted that this sauce is essentially raw chicken juices, which poses a food safety risk and can lead to poisoning.
To highlight this issue, the Dubai Municipality (DM) is organizing the world's largest food safety training on safe rotisserie chicken preparation. The event is scheduled for November 17th and aims to raise the knowledge and skills of chefs and Persons in Charge (PICs) working in restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets where fried chicken is sold. The session, which will be conducted in Arabic, English, Malayalam, Urdu, and Tagalog from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, seeks to set a Guinness World Record. All establishments are urged to participate.
This emphasis comes against the backdrop of the city's preparations for the 20th Dubai International Food Safety Conference on November 16th. This three-day conference, organized by DM, brings together global food safety regulators, industry leaders, and experts to discuss emerging risks and best practices in the food supply chain.
Bobby added that some restaurants use the sauce for basting during chicken preparation. He explained that if this sauce is prepared in the kitchen and does not contain raw chicken juices, its use is absolutely safe.
He also pointed out other common mistakes among the city's establishments. One is the incorrect sequence of placing chicken in the machine. The expert stressed the importance of proper chicken arrangement. Sometimes an establishment places raw chicken under the grate and cooked chicken on top, causing liquids from the raw chicken to drip onto the cooked chicken, creating a risk of food poisoning.
Furthermore, an error in how chicken is served was noted. If a customer orders half a chicken, some establishments leave the remaining half at the bottom of the machine, again causing juices from the raw chicken to drip onto it.
A representative from Sabeek at Green City restaurant in Dubai reported that their establishment pays great attention to ensuring chicken meets food safety standards. He stated that they use fresh spices, and the chicken is marinated in sterilized containers. The inside of the grill is always maintained at 74°C. After cooking, the chicken is stored in a hot compartment at 63°C or higher. Cooked and raw chicken are stored separately to prevent cross-contamination. Additionally, the restaurant does not serve sauce, preferring to pair the chicken with garlic sauce.
Salim, manager of Tea Junction restaurant located in Kusais, noted that the sauce at their establishment is very popular among customers. He explained that it is essentially a basting sauce made from spices that they drizzle over the chicken, giving it a good flavor. However, he warned that some establishments leave the basting sauce underneath the chicken in the machine uncovered, which is a food safety risk. They prefer to keep it outside the machine for safety.