Food safety expert warns against ‘raw juice’ gravy from rotisserie chicken drippings in Dubai

A food safety specialist in the UAE has cautioned that a gravy commonly served with machine-grilled rotisserie chicken at numerous cafeterias across the country may lead to food poisoning.

Bobby Krishna, a food safety expert, said that many establishments collect the liquid that drips from the chicken during the grilling process in a tray at the base of the rotisserie machine and then present it as a sauce. He described this liquid as essentially raw chicken juices and emphasised that it poses a significant food safety hazard capable of causing foodborne illness.

Dubai Municipality to organise record-breaking food safety training

In response to these concerns, Dubai Municipality (DM) is planning what it says will be the largest food safety training session ever held, focused on the safe preparation of rotisserie grilled chicken. Scheduled for 17 November, the two-hour session from 09:00 to 11:00 GMT will aim to improve the food safety knowledge and skills of chefs and Persons in Charge (PICs) working in restaurants, cafeterias and supermarkets that sell grilled chicken. The training will be delivered in Arabic, English, Malayalam, Urdu and Tagalog, and organisers are targeting a Guinness World Record. All relevant food outlets have been urged to participate.

The initiative comes ahead of the 20th edition of the Dubai International Food Safety Conference, which begins on 16 November. Organised by DM, the three-day event gathers global food safety regulators, industry leaders and experts to discuss emerging risks and best practices throughout the food supply chain.

Common errors in chicken handling

Krishna also highlighted other frequent mistakes made by eateries in Dubai. One such error concerns the arrangement of chicken inside the rotisserie machine. He explained that some establishments place racks of raw chicken at the top of the machine while positioning cooked chicken at the bottom, allowing juices from the raw meat to drip onto the grilled product. This cross-contamination, he warned, creates a risk of food poisoning.

Another mistake relates to how chicken is served after cooking. Krishna noted that when a customer orders half a chicken, some eateries leave the remaining half at the bottom of the machine, again exposing it to drippings from raw chicken above.

Eateries share their practices

Sabeek, from Green City restaurant in Dubai, said his establishment takes stringent measures to ensure its grilled chicken meets food safety standards. He stated that the restaurant uses fresh spices and marinates the chicken in sanitised containers. Inside the grill, a temperature of 74°C is consistently maintained. After cooking, the chicken is stored in a hot cabinet at 63°C or higher. Raw and cooked chicken are kept separate to prevent cross-contamination. Sabeek added that the restaurant does not serve a gravy, instead offering garlic sauce as an accompaniment.

Salim, manager of Tea Junction restaurant in Qusais, said the gravy served at his establishment is very popular with customers. He explained that it is a basting sauce made with spices and poured over the chicken. He noted that some eateries keep the basting sauce in a tray under the grilled chicken inside the machine without covering it, which he described as a food safety risk. At Tea Junction, the sauce is kept outside the machine to ensure safety.