Right Royal Example The latest expression of the drive for food safety in the UAE has resulted in the head chef at the Etoiles restaurant in the Emirates Palace hotel being fined Dh92,000 (US$27,000) for storing a container of expired yoghurt.
According to Martin Youssef at The National, the bulk of the fine (Dh70,000) was for the chef failing to educate his staff on the emirate’s food expiration laws, Dh20,000 was the cost for storing expired food and on top of this Dh2,000 was the municipality’s fees.
Chef Appeal
The chef is appealing the charges on the basis that the yoghurt was only one day past its use-by date and he is seeking to absolve himself by saying he is a worker, not the restaurant or hotel owner.
Sour Signal
The case of the Emirates Palace old yoghurt is sending a strong signal to restaurants all around the UAE that municipality inspectors will throw the book at you if you violate food safety and restaurant hygiene standards.
One can guarantee that in the next few weeks at least, restaurant workers will be checking their refrigerators and freezers to ensure excellence compliance and that diners will be served the freshest food to the highest standards.
Link: Martin Youssef, Emirates Palace Chef Fined Dh92,000, The National, 14 July 2009.
Dr Geoff Pound
Image: Etoiles Restaurant.
