Health inspectors found thawed seafood, food stored in buckets leading to temporary closure of Mama Tina’s Gumbo

Key Points:

• Houston health inspectors investigated a customer illness complaint after eating Mama Tina’s Gumbo at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, finding thawed seafood labeled “keep frozen” and improper food storage practices at an unlicensed off-site location.
• The complaint involved a customer who experienced severe symptoms including vomiting blood after consuming the gumbo, prompting the inspection on March 16.
• Inspectors discovered the gumbo was prepared in non-food grade containers, stored at an unpermitted facility, lacked temperature logs and date markings, and involved frozen food not kept frozen, leading to the disposal of all prepared gumbo.
• After educating the operators on proper food safety procedures, Mama Tina’s Gumbo ceased off-site preparation and shifted to daily on-site preparation, passing a pre-opening inspection on March 17 and being cleared to reopen.
• It remains unclear if additional illness complaints were received, and KPRC 2 News has sought a response from Mama Tina’s Gumbo representatives.