KNOXVILLE — A viral conspiracy video offers up a hot one: That pizza on your table at Chuck E. Cheese might have been served to another customer first.

But of all the things parents might have to fear at the chain restaurant-arcade-playland — like, say, forgetting to bring ibuprofen or earplugs — being served "recycled" pizza isn't one, according to local Chuck E. Cheese staff and Knox County Health Department.

"We've never 'recycled' pizzas — never! — and I've been here 10 years," said Trisha York, senior manager of Knoxville's Chuck E. Cheese store at 8225 Kingston Pike. "We make them fresh to order."

York said she'd not heard about YouTube personality Shane Dawson's newest video in his "Conspiracy Theories" series, which posits that employees of the rat-turned-mouse are simply scooping up uneaten pizzas and re-serving them to unsuspecting patrons.

York said on a typical Saturday — the store's busiest day — employees make and serve 270-350 large pizzas alone. Last Saturday, staff made 380 large pizzas, she said. York said the store doesn't track the number of less-popular medium and personal-size pizzas but said the combined number made each day is roughly the same as the number of large pizzas.

"We do not have any local complaints in the file about pizza being re-served from other tables at our Knoxville location," said Kevin Clark, food program manager in Knox County Health Department's Environmental Health Division, which is responsible for restaurant inspections.

Clark said Chuck E. Cheese's last inspection, Jan. 30, netted them an initial 83 score, but on a followup inspection the same day, after the problems were corrected, they scored a 98.

Only two of those violations involved food: Two food items out on the prep line were not as cold as required, and two items on the salad bar — cut melons and hard-boiled eggs — were missing required dates that showed when they were prepared.

None involved recycled pizza.

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But could there have been a cover-up?

Clark said health inspectors arrive unannounced, do the inspection immediately, and then stay at the restaurant until what the health department considers "priority violations" are corrected. They return later for a follow-up if a repair is needed or something can't be completely corrected at that time.

"I would find that extremely unlikely" that pizza was being re-served without an inspector realizing it or consumers noticing and complaining to the health department, Clark said.

“The claims made in this video about Chuck E. Cheese’s and our pizza are unequivocally false," said Christelle Dupont, manager of PR and Corporate Communications at the pizza chain's parent company CEC Entertainment, in a statement. "No conspiracies here — our pizzas are made to order and we prepare our dough fresh in restaurant, which means that they’re not always perfectly uniform in shape, but always delicious.”

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York said Thursday and Friday were especially busy for the store, since Knox County and other systems cancelled school because of illness.

In fact, for many parents, their primary concern at Chuck E. Cheese is not the pizza but picking up germs.

York said in addition to regular deep-cleanings of the play area, the stores use a "green" sanitizing spray and have staff constantly walking around during the day to wipe off arcade games and other attractions. The corporate parent two years ago removed the "play tunnels" from stores, in part because they were difficult to keep clean.

But, parents, use common sense: If your kid feels ill or has symptoms of sickness, Chuck E. Cheese — or any other public play area — is not the place to be.

And constant handwashing — with soap and hot water, not merely alcohol-based sanitizer — is the best way to avoid germs year-round, but especially during "flu season." Wash before and after eating, after using the toilet, and as often as you can in between, making sure kids scrub both tops and bottoms of their hands and in between their fingers, for at least the amount of time it takes to sing the "A-B-C" song.

Inspectors did find the bathrooms at Chuck E. Cheese supplied with both soap and hot water, so you have no excuse — and that's not a conspiracy.