Manchester United have been hit with a one star out of five food hygiene rating after guests were allegedly served raw chicken at a corporate event.
The Premier League club must now show “major improvement”, according to the Food Standards Agency.
Guests for the Old Trafford event, which took place on 21 November, made complaints and alleged they became unwell after being served raw chicken. The Red Devils, who may appeal the downgrade, conceded "a small amount of undercooked meat was inadvertently served during a non matchday event".
The club maintain this was an isolated incident, with the Athletic first reporting an investigation by Trafford Council.
The club previously held a five star rating for Old Trafford, which is described as “very good” by the Food Standards Agency.
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “We can confirm that the hygiene rating for Old Trafford (Manchester United) has been downgraded from five to one.
“This follows a food hygiene investigation following an incident where undercooked food was served at an event on 21 November.”
While a United spokesperson said in a statement: “Manchester United has one of the largest and most experienced food and beverage operations in world sport, with more than 250,000 people dining at the stadium restaurants and over 300 external events successfully delivered each year.
“Every matchday, the catering is enjoyed by over 8,000 people, served by 28 kitchens across the stadium, and the club is proud of the high standards and the 5-star food hygiene record which had been awarded to us for the past eight years.
“This was an isolated incident, and the point of failure was identified and addressed. Everyone at the club is determined to regain our 5-star food hygiene status as quickly as possible. To support that objective, we are conducting an independent food audit to identify any further opportunities for improvement.”
