Overview
By law, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) performs annual inspections of all eating and drinking establishments under its jurisdiction. Inspections may happen more frequently at a facility if it receives complaints or violates the PA Food Code.
PDA posts results to the inspections search tool as inspections are conducted. The results serve as a "snapshot" of the day and time of an inspection. Often, an establishment will correct any violations before the inspector leaves.
How to search for a report
You can use the inspections search tool to find available reports.
If you’re having trouble finding an establishment, try searching for only part of its name. For example, if you’re trying to find “Tim’s Pizza Shop,” try searching for just Tim or Tim’s Pizza to get more results.
Food safety jurisdictions
The inspections search tool only includes results for:
- Establishments under PDA’s inspection jurisdiction.
- Establishments under the jurisdiction of select county and local health departments that have elected to post results to the tool.
You can use our food safety jurisdiction search to check if your facility is in a county or local health jurisdiction. Some of the larger jurisdictions include:
All establishments must meet the PA Food Code at a minimum, regardless of jurisdiction. Under 7 Pa. Code, Chapter 46, the Commonwealth adopts the FDA Model Food Code. County or local health departments may enforce stricter regulations.
Violation types
Violations are broken into two categories based on their degree of danger to public health.
Foodborne illness risk factor violations can make someone ill if they’re not corrected. Examples of these factors include:
- Poor worker hygiene
- Incorrect holding and storing temperatures for foods
- Unapproved food sources
If PDA finds a violation of this kind, the establishment must correct it immediately. Otherwise, it will put the entire inspection out of compliance. The violation will still show up on the report if it’s corrected immediately, but the restaurant will be considered in compliance.
Good retail practice violations are important for protecting public health, but they have less potential to cause significant foodborne illness.
If PDA finds a violation of this kind, the establishment must correct it immediately. Otherwise, a follow-up inspection will be required. The violation may or may not put the restaurant out of compliance, depending on its circumstances and severity.
Questions?
If you have questions, contact us at 717-787-4315 or ra-foodsafety@pa.gov.
PDA will send an inspector to check the validity of the complaint and make sure that corrective action is taken, if needed.
If an establishment doesn’t pass its initial inspection, PDA will schedule a follow-up inspection to make sure that changes are made. The reason for each inspection is listed in the report.
It depends on the circumstances and severity of the violations.
An establishment may have a few minor violations and still be in compliance if it corrects the problems immediately. Or, an establishment may have only one violation and be out of compliance if the problem poses a serious risk to public health.
You can use our food safety complaint form to file a report.
