Pet food on the menu? Harare restaurant under fire

The Harare City Council says it will dispatch health inspectors to investigate a Central Business District restaurant following explosive allegations that food labelled for pets was allegedly prepared and served to customers.

The storm erupted after H-Metro reporters, acting on a tip-off from a worker, visited the establishment last week. The publication reported witnessing meat being handled in what appeared to be unhygienic conditions unlikely to meet standard health requirements.

Video footage captured by the newspaper allegedly shows a worker washing meat he claimed was "pet food" before placing it into a pot that was later taken into the restaurant kitchen for cooking.

"Some of the products brought into the kitchen are clearly marked pet food," said one employee, who declined to be named.

City of Harare director of Health Services, Dr Prosper Chonzi, confirmed that inspectors would be sent to the premises. He stressed that all food outlets are subject to routine health checks and warned that any violations would trigger enforcement action.

"If there is any violation of health regulations, appropriate enforcement measures will be taken," he said.

A public health expert warned that selling pet food for human consumption would represent a serious breach of food safety regulations, noting that products labelled for animals are not processed or regulated under the same standards as food intended for people.

The restaurant owner, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless and reacted angrily when approached for comment, denying any wrongdoing and threatening the reporter.

The investigation is expected to determine whether public health laws were breached and whether further action will be taken against the establishment.