Restaurants slam alleged “blacklist”

Syndicate of Restaurant Owners says “most eateries apply safety standards”

The Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night-Clubs, and Pastries said that most eateries in the country are working in compliance with the international food safety standards.

The syndicate said, in a statement Friday (October 7), that the government’s inspectors are fulfilling their duties in observing food safety standards in restaurants.

Media reports have recently raised the public’s concern about food safety and unsanitary conditions in restaurants across the country. Some online forums have even published what they labeled as “the Lebanese restaurants blacklist”, which included the names of some popular restaurants as well as international chains.

“The judiciary alone is entitled to publish lists with the names of restaurants that have breached food safety standards, and this has never happened till now,” the syndicate said. The syndicate condemned the alleged list as “an attempt to damage the reputation of tourism in the country.”