Man United's Old Trafford Stadium has just been rated 2 stars for food hygiene and safety when the authorities discovered rat droppings in an area with many visitors.
According to the Trafford Council's report completed on 16 April, Old Trafford has been noted for its efforts to control the widespread appearance of mice. However, according to the agency's records, there were up to 7 areas within the yard where rat droppings appeared, 3 of which were the Ambassador's Lounge, Lounge No. 7 and the "Red Devils" Bar.
The area considered most sensitive to food hygiene and safety is the restaurant and kitchen where rat droppings have not been detected. However, that did not save Old Trafford from being rated 2 stars for cleaning.
When going into the stadium, the authorities discovered that many boxes of spices in the stadium's kitchen were in open condition and had expired. Some personal hygiene areas in the yard do not have hot water, even soap. The general hygiene of these areas is at an alarming level.
In this dire situation, a Manchester United spokesperson said: "The club is taking strong action to deal with all these problems. Many checks have been conducted weekly in all food service areas.
Strict control measures are also taken to ensure the highest level of hygiene wherever food is provided or stored. If any incidents related to this issue occur at the stadium, we will take immediate and appropriate action."
In December 2023, Man United was even rated 1 star for food hygiene and safety after discovering that the restaurant had served raw chicken to customers. Previously, after a general test, Man United was rated up to 5 stars for food hygiene and safety.
According to Manchester City regulations, any unit or business that is rated as having a low level in terms of food hygiene and safety must have a plan as soon as possible to improve. Otherwise, that business could be completely suspended from providing food and beverage services until it is re-checked and determined to be safe enough.
Every year, revenue from serving services such as dining at Old Trafford brings in a significant amount of revenue for Manchester United. After this 2-star rating, it will take a long time for the team to restore to 5-star level. Not to mention, during that time, how to regain the trust of fans and customers was not easy.
