Pitt officials ask health department to investigate food poisoning claims

Social media posts suggesting that students became sick after eating undercooked food in a University of Pittsburgh eatery prompted campus officials to ask the Allegheny County Health Department to investigate the claims.

The reports involved The Eatery, a food service outlet in Litchfield Towers and the largest of two dozen dining locations on the main Oakland campus.

Pitt officials said Tuesday they had not received any reports directly from students or others. They could not say how many reports were made, their severity and if they centered on a specific food item.

Chartwells Higher Ed, the food service company that operates campus eateries under the name “Pitt Eats,” is performing an internal audit of its processes and training methods to ensure all food safety measures are being followed accurately, the university and its dining services said in a joint message shared with campus.

“In addition, we’ve requested that the Allegheny County Health Department visit The Eatery to perform an independent evaluation,” the message states. “Lastly, our independent third-party expert who regularly audits our processes is on site today.”

An expedited inspection ordered for Monday found conditions, including food temperatures, normal. “We did pay them a visit and everything was satisfactory,” said Abigail Gardner, an Allegheny County spokeswoman.

University officials said Pitt Eats has a rigorous program for food safety and hygiene. They listed some of their safety protocols in the campus message.

The Eatery just completed a major renovation and work included introduction of new restaurant concepts. The dining service reports it serves 30,000 customers daily campuswide.