Section: General Administration

Area: Public Safety

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1. PURPOSE

The Food Safety Standard protects the University of Houston System faculty, staff, students, and visitors by providing safe and sanitary Food Establishments on the campuses of the System. The goal of this standard is the reduction and prevention of foodborne illness through periodic inspection of Food Establishments and by enforcing the most current Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Code, as applicable.

The Food Safety Standard shall apply to all Food Establishments of the System. 

2. DEFINITIONS

2.1. Food Establishment: An operation—temporary or permanent, mobile or stationary—where food or beverages are prepared, packaged, served, or otherwise provided for human consumption, and possession of the food is relinquished to a consumer. This includes, but is not limited to, residential cafeterias, delicatessens, caters, food trucks, concession stands, restaurants, temporary food service establishments, makers’ markets, public events, fundraisers and any other establishment where food and beverages are prepared or served to the UHS community.

2.2. Temporary Food Establishment: A Food Establishment that operates for a period of no more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single event or celebration.

2.3. Food Event: A public gathering of persons at which food products will be served directly to consumers (to include but not limited to makers’ markets, festivals, farmers markets, bazaars, carnivals, circuses, fundraisers, public exhibitions, celebrations, sporting events, or other public gatherings).

3. POLICY

3.1. Each university will comply with the following:

3.1.1. Each university must ensure all Food Establishments comply with the most current Texas Department of State Health Services’ Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Code, as applicable.

3.1.2. Each university must ensure that inspections are conducted of all Food Establishments to ensure compliance with aforementioned rules and regulations.

A. Routine inspections shall be conducted at least once during each spring and fall semesters. If the Food Establishment does not receive a passing score, a compliance inspection is required. Inspections may be conducted during other times of the year as deemed appropriate by the UHS Food Safety Office.

B. These inspections shall be conducted by a health inspector from the UHS Food Safety Office. This UHS Food Safety Office health inspector shall be authorized to inspect, at all reasonable times, any Food Establishment, Temporary Food Establishment, or Food Event on the University of Houston System campuses.

C. The UHS health inspector conducting these inspections must hold, at a minimum, a food manager’s certification from a food safety training provider. A Texas registered sanitarian certification is preferred.

D. The UHS health inspector will provide inspection reports to the Food Establishment manager or respective manager and the executive director of Auxiliary Services within five (5) business days after the inspection. For establishments not managed by Auxiliary Services, reports will be provided to the Food Establishment manager and the organization’s designee. 

3.2. Each Food Establishment will comply with the following:

3.2.1. Each Food Establishment must comply with the most current Texas Department of State Health Services’ Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Code, as applicable.

3.2.2. No Bare-Hand Contact with Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Food.

A. To prevent foodborne illness, food employees must not touch ready-to-eat (RTE) food with bare hands under any circumstances. All food handlers must use suitable utensils such as gloves, tongs, or spatulas when handling RTE foods.

B. Food establishments must ensure that all employees receive training on proper hand hygiene and the use of barriers when handling RTE food. Compliance with this policy will be strictly enforced during routine and compliance inspections conducted by the UHS Food Safety Office. Non-compliance may result in corrective action, including additional training or enforcement measures. 

3.2.3. Each Food Establishment must comply with the UHS Fire and Life Safety (FLS) Emergency Food Establishment Action Plan and obtain prior approval for individualized Food Establishment action plans when preparing for and responding to incidents and other emergencies.  

3.2.4. Each Food Establishment must report all food safety complaints to the UHS Food Safety Office.

A. Complaints should be reported through the UHS Food Safety Office UH Fire & Life Safety Report a Concern form.

B. A UHS Food Safety Office health inspector shall conduct a root cause analysis and provide any corrective actions to the Food Establishment and the executive director of Auxiliary Services. For establishments not managed by Auxiliary Services, reports will be provided to the Food Establishment and the organization’s designee. 

3.3. In addition to complying with Section 3.2 above, each Temporary Food Establishment or Food Event must review the Temporary Food Dealer’s Policy and submit the appropriate documents as required. A UHS Food Safety Office health inspector will review all submitted documents and provide feedback on necessary approvals and compliance. 

4. REFERENCES

Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 228 (TFER) 
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Code
UH Fire and Life Safety “Report a Concern” Form
UH Temporary Food Dealers website

Issued: 06/15/2022
Last Reviewed/Revised: 09/15/2025
Responsible Office(s): Administration and Finance