Chef-turned-reality TV star Jamie Oliver is taking some heat from health inspectors in the United Kingdom after several of his customers and staff fell ill with food poisoning.
Inspectors cited some of Oliver’s chain Italian restaurants for serving undercooked burgers and expired meat, as well the use of dirty equipment, according to The Daily Mail.
Health officials cited Jamie’s Italian in Guildford, Surrey, for its policy on preparing meat that potentially ‘exposed customers’ to E.coli.
“Your current cooking practice may not be adequate to effectively destroy harmful bacteria that may be found within the raw mince meat,” read the report, according to the paper. Inspectors reportedly threatened managers with legal action unless they stopped serving undercooked burgers.
Oliver has become famous in the U.S. for his reality TV show on ABC, “Food Revolution,” which focuses on reforming unhealthy school lunches and teaching Americans how to cook as a means of combating obesity. The show is in its last season — currently featuring Los Angeles — due to poor ratings.
Food safety guru Doug Powell of Kansas State University responded to the news Monday by suggesting Oliver improve his food safety practices.
“Jamie Oliver … may be trying to rid Los Angeles of chocolate milk, but health inspectors want him to pay more attention to crap in his U.K. restaurants,” wrote Powell.
“Thermometers would be a useful kitchen addition. Oliver doesn’t talk about thermometers on TV,” he added.
