Eating charred meat poses serious health risks.
By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
Warnings from government authorities about the serious health risks posed by charred food have been largely ignored by many eateries and restaurants in Qatar.
A cross-section of Doha residents told Gulf Times that there is a need to raise public awareness on the risks of consuming charred food.
The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) has on many occasions urged residents not to eat such burnt spots of breads or other foods, citing its harmful effects to human health.
An Asian expatriate who usually has her dinner in some of the eateries and restaurants in the city observed that in many cases the grilled meats they serve are charred.
“I usually tell the waiter who gets my order to cook the chicken well without overdoing it, otherwise you will be disappointed to see the food charred,” she stressed.
Her officemates, who also had the same observation, said some eateries fail to cook the food well despite repeatedly reminding them not to char the meat.
One lady said she would often call the manager to complain and replace the food served to her.
“Just by looking at the chicken, you will be able to assess if it is good to eat or not,” she said. “But the problem is that on many occasions, a substantial portion of chicken is charred, which I am sure is unhealthy.”
She also lamented that despite warnings from government authorities about its serious health risks, many eateries and restaurants continue to serve charred food.
To avoid any arguments with the restaurant manager, the lady recounted removing most of the burnt spots from the bread but felt upset when only a fraction of it was left for consumption.
Speaking to Gulf Times, a manager of an eatery at Matar Qadeem said grills should be cleaned properly and regularly before being used again.
“Otherwise, the overcooked leftover (or pieces) will stick and blacken the food and will look like it is charred,” she explained. But she disclosed that many fail to do this practice due to the volume of food they cook every day.
While the municipal authorities regularly check the cleanliness of their place, the manager said issues about serving charred food may not be a big concern unless customers file complaints against them.
A manager of a popular restaurant chain in Qatar echoed her statement saying that serving uncooked food or meat matters more.
“The major concern of the municipal authorities is expiration and sanitation,” he said.
About charred meat, he stressed that customers have the right to request for a replacement of their order especially if it failed to meet their expectation.
“Every customer should assess their right and the manager should replace the food,” he added. “In our case, we follow certain procedures in cooking our food properly, so as to avoid getting any complaints.”
At a new restaurant in one of the major malls in Doha, one supervisor said they try to cook the food well and make sure no customer files any complaint against them to avoid being penalised.
“We try to serve meat well done, without any blood in it. Few black marks seem to be normal and acceptable for grilled meats,” he added.
