There’s no shortage of food options for University of Houston students, faculty, and staff. From the two dining commons on campus to the large national brand establishments and food trucks, as well as food events such as the Farmers Markets and Wolffest there are dining options at UH to support all culinary tastes and dietary needs.
Overseeing UH System food establishments to ensure they meet food safety standards falls on the shoulders of the Food Safety department, which comprises three inspectors: Christina Martinez, Latoya Mathis, and Teshana McKnight.
Having three health inspectors allows them to divide and conquer by splitting up the inspections across all the UH System universities.
“The whole goal is to have a way for us to work together but also individually at the different campuses so that we’re all on the same page and everyone’s following the same rules and are up to par with our standards,” said Martinez.
The food safety inspectors follow the Texas Food Establishment rules, which every health inspector in Texas follows. The department checks each dining location at least once per semester. In calendar year 2023, the Food Safety team conducted 102 routine dining inspections across the entire UH System to date.
Additionally, the Food Safety department issues Temporary Food Dealer’s Permits for organizations, departments, student organizations, third-party vendors, and any other group wishing to serve food to the UH community or the public.
Registered student organizations can apply for a Temporary Food Dealer’s Permit by visiting the UH Get Involved website. Departments, third-party vendors, and visitors can apply for a permit through the Food Safety Office by filling out the form on the Fire & Life Safety website and emailing the form to foodsafety@uh.edu.
So far, in 2023, the Food Safety team has reviewed approximately 1,819 requests for permits, granting 1,337 of them. The campus community is often unaware if they need a Temporary Food Permit. To combat this, the Food Safety team created a Decision Tree website to help users gauge whether they need a permit.
The department is active at university events like the Wolffest food festival, Frontier Fiesta, Cultural Taste of Houston, March of Dimes, and Otaku Festival and other significant UH-sponsored events.
Aside from routine inspections, the Food Safety department is responsible for investigating any reports of food safety concerns. To report a concern or an illness, a person can fill out the form located on the Food Safety website. From there, a health inspector will contact them and follow through with the concern.
The work of the Food Safety team may go unnoticed by the campus community, but rest assured, they are a pivotal part of the university.