No respite from unhygienic food

In fact, many diners are oblivious of the unhygienic conditions in which their food is prepared. It also seems the problem is a continuing one.
“Restaurants are unhygienic and customers risk catching all sorts of diseases and epidemics,” said a Saudi citizen who did not want his name published.
Saudi citizen Ahmad Khaled lives in an up-market area of Makkah. He said he once visited a luxurious restaurant in his neighborhood and asked for a plate of ful (broad beans).  “When I began to eat I noticed something peculiar in the dish. I looked closely and discovered it was a dead cockroach. I then stopped eating at popular restaurants,” he said.
Midhat Hussain said there is a popular restaurant in his area that serves what is locally known as Al-Satti or barbecued steak. “This is a well-known place and many people eat there. One day I also decided to eat there and after finishing my meal went to the washroom to wash my hands. By mistake, I entered the kitchen and wished I’d never done so,” he said.
“I saw people washing dishes inside a bathtub, drying them and then serving food on them. There was also a large lizard in the bathtub. The site just made me feel sick and I never returned,” he said.
Shakir Muhammad said he has previously asked the authorities not to show leniency to illegal foreigners who work in the food and catering business. “The people who work in these places need to be legally residents in the Kingdom and should have health certificates proving they are well otherwise they could pass on all sorts of diseases,” he said. “I think the authorities should severely punish restaurants which employ illegal foreigners,” he added.
Shakir recalled that one day he was having dinner at a famous restaurant in Makkah when he saw a large rat in the kitchen. “I immediately left and made it a point never to eat in such restaurants again,” he said.