Health Inspectors Found Thawed Seafood, Food Stored in Buckets Leading to Temporary Closure of Mama Tina’s Gumbo

Houston health inspectors investigating a customer illness complaint after eating Mama Tina’s Gumbo at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo found thawed seafood labeled “keep frozen” and learned the gumbo had been moved to a freezer at an unlicensed off-site location without temperature logs before being served, according to Houston Health Department records obtained by KPRC 2 News.

via: Baller Alert

According to records obtained by KPRC 2 News, the investigation began on March 16 after a customer reported getting sick hours after eating the gumbo. The complaint states the customer experienced vomiting, chills, nausea, and fever, and also reported she was “throwing up blood.” Because of the severity of those symptoms, inspectors quickly launched an on-site inspection.

The report shows the gumbo was not prepared at the rodeo but at an off-site location where it was cooled and stored in non-food-grade orange buckets. It was then transported to an unlicensed freezer before being moved again to a refrigerated trailer at the event to thaw ahead of serving. However, inspectors found no temperature logs documenting how the food was cooled or stored during any part of that process.

They also documented that they “observed bags of frozen shrimp and crab with a label that stated ‘keep frozen,’” even though the seafood had already thawed. So any food that was no longer properly frozen had to be thrown away immediately.

The report lists multiple violations, including storing food in containers that could contaminate it, using an unapproved food source, failing to date mark prepared items, and not maintaining required temperature controls. Because of those findings, inspectors ordered all prepared gumbo discarded.

Still, officials noted, “Operators were very cooperative and asked questions about how to gain compliance with the department.” The team agreed to stop preparing food off-site and shift to on-site cooking only, pending approval.

By March 17, inspectors confirmed the operation had made corrections. Gumbo was being prepared fresh on-site daily, and all stored food was kept frozen solid. Mama Tina’s Gumbo was cleared to reopen later that afternoon.