Fast food chain cleared over blade in pizza

Dubai: Municipal food inspectors have decided against imposing a fine on a food outlet over a customer’s complaint that he discovered a blade in a pizza which was delivered to his home by the fast food chain.

Officials said the restaurant could not be held responsible for the contamination but urged customers who came across any type of food contamination to make a complaint on the spot. Customers were also advised to refrain from touching the food item which they found unpalateable so that it could be presented as evidence to municipal food inspectors and even to the concerned food outlet’s manager.

It may be recalled that a customer in Karama had alerted food inspectors last week about a blade in his chicken pizza, which he received after calling the delivery number of a fast food chain. He approached Dubai Municipality for redressal after the management’s apology and the offer of a free pizza failed to convince him.

An investigation was launched and, within 24 hours, food inspectors closed the case, clearing the pizza outlet of any wrong-doing.

“Consumer health is our priority and they have the right to complain about food if they find that it poses a threat to their health and safety. From the investigation in this case, we concluded that the blade was part of a shaving blade, and that it was not from a machine or any other object that could be found in the outlet’s kitchen,” said Sultan Al Taher, Head of the Food Inspection Section at Dubai Municipality.

Any complaints received by the Food Inspection Department are thoroughly investigated, Al Taher said. According to standard procedure, a food inspector first contacts the customer and then the food outlet, while still keeping the customer’s identity hidden from management.

“We then pay a visit to see the situation in the kitchen and compare it to the complaint. If a customer, for example, found a hair in his food and then food inspectors find out that employees are not using hair nets, that restaurant will certainly face a fine,” he said.

“We have to be fair to customers as well as to restaurants, and our decision is based on an investigation. We have seen cases where customers deliberately placed something in their food because they did not want to pay the bill, and that is why we have to be absolutely certain that the contamination came from the kitchen and not otherwise,” he added.