Pitt students complain dining hall is making them sick; internal audit underway, health department requested

    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) -- Students at the University of Pittsburgh have been complaining that undercooked food in one of their dining halls is making them sick.

In a letter to students, the University of Pittsburgh acknowledged the social media claims. They wrote, in part:

Given the scope of our dining operations and the priority we place on protecting the Pitt community, Chartwells Higher Ed (our dining partner known as Pitt Eats) is currently performing an internal audit of their processes and training methods to ensure all food safety measures are being followed accurately. In addition we have requested that the Allegheny County Health Department visit The Eatery to perform an independent evaluation.

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 reviewed the most recent inspection done on The Eatery, which was in March of this year. Violations at the time included food kept at the wrong temperature, as well as violations of contamination prevention measures and handwashing stations. The report also shows The Eatery's permit expired in August.

In a statement, the vice president of marketing for Chartwells writes:

Chartwells is fully committed to the health and well-being of the campus community, as well as to providing students with high-quality food and produce. While we already have a rigorous food safety program in place, in light of recent feedback, we have taken additional steps to reinforce our safety training protocols. Additionally, we have invited the Allegheny County Health Department to perform an independent evaluation. The results of this inspection, along with past inspection reports, are available on our dining services website.

The next regular health inspection is scheduled for Sept 19th; however, we have requested an earlier inspection, and the team is on-site today. The results will be posted as soon as they are available.

The reports available online are not updated and still show reports from March 2024. However, an additional statement from Chartwells said that the stations and kitchen at The Eatery have active operating permits.

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 reached out to the Allegheny County Health Department but have not yet received a comment. However, an updated health inspection reported no violations at The Eatery, including with the temperatures of prepared food.