Officials regard inspections as a valuable tool, not an annoyance

All the restaurants at the Student Union Memorial Center satisfy health inspections conducted by the Pima County Health Inspector.

The inspections, which were conducted earlier this fall, show that the food services in the new union contain no signs of danger for students

"Everything seems fine. If it wasn't, the union wouldn't be operating," said Pima County Health Inspector Nick Ramirez.

Union officials said they regard the health inspections as a valuable tool, not a nuisance.

"I think they're an asset, not an enforcement agency," said David Galbraith, director of dining services.

Restaurants within the union still have a health code by which they must abide, but some said they find it difficult to adhere because of construction.

"It's hard to keep the same routine for cleaning," said Denise Stinnett, night supervisor of On Deck Deli. "But it's something that has to be done."

Before any formal inspection by the Pima County Health Department, a full-time staff member will likely be hired to train union employees on the new guidelines, Galbraith said.

"We would like to have the training started over Christmas break," he said.

Ramirez said the next inspection will follow a new code that stresses food-handling practices rather than minor health concerns.

Included in the new inspection are 26 health codes to ensure the safety of the food at the establishment.

The restaurant is given until the next inspection to fix the violations.

Before it was demolished, the old union was not considered up to code but was allowed to remain open because it would soon be replaced by the new union. Galbraith said.

"Students were in no danger," he said.

Before construction on the new union, plans were approved by the Health Department to guarantee the safety of the food establishments within the union.