Spicy shawarma too hot to handle for hygienists

A showdown over shawarma has come to Dubai.

A state-owned newspaper reported on Wednesday that nearly half of all shawarma stands in Dubai either will be shut down or have stopped selling the popular West Asian street food.

The National newspaper of Abu Dhabi quotes Sultan al-Tahir, head of food inspection in Dubai, as saying the city-state’s over 570 shawarma stands had six months to update their operations to comply with new hygiene regulations.

Al-Tahir says 113 stopped making the meat wraps, while another 141 took no action and will be shut down. Shawarma is typically cooked outdoors, with spiced chicken, lamb and beef shaved off a vertical spit.