The Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services has primary responsibility for regulating food-related activities in the Commonwealth. Together with regulatory inspections and testing programs, the Bureau uses public outreach and educational programs to ensure that Pennsylvania residents consume foods that meet the highest standards.
Compliance and Enforcement
The Bureau is charged with inspecting, licensing, registering and/or permitting approximately:
- 4,600 food manufacturing firms
- 2,200 warehouses
- 15,100 retail food stores
- 21,700 public eating and drinking establishments
- 4,250 frozen desert operations
- 2,800 schools
- 600 camps and summer food sites
- 400 dairy processing manufacturing, and distribution facilities
- 280 seasonal farm labor camps
Pennsylvania Restaurant Inspections
You can now view complete restaurant inspection records online, and print a copy of the actual inspection form.
*Please note: you may receive errors when accessing this page due to network congestion. Please try again later when fewer people may be trying to use the site.
For questions and complaints regarding food safety and restaurant inspections, call toll-free at 1-866-366-3723.
Improving Food Safety Laws
The Department of Agriculture is encouraging the General Assembly to pass legislation that will help prevent foodborne illness by improving the department’s ability to enforce food safety regulations. The department also encourages the standardization of inspections and enforcement across the state.
Following the Pennsylvania Food Code, modeled after the national standard and using scientifically-sound food safety practices, new legislation would replace the current law, which is more than 60 years old.
Through legislation, the department aims to:
- Make food safety inspections uniform across the state, regardless of jurisdiction.
- Make food safety inspection reports available to the public, regardless of jurisdiction.
- Increase fees and penalties for re-inspections and failure to meet safety standards.
- Require restaurants to have at least one supervisor present at all hours of operation who has received Food Employee Certification.
- Avoid duplication of inspections between state and local inspectors.
The Department of Agriculture looks forward to working with members of the Legislature, industry stakeholders and the public to pass this important piece of legislation.
Bureau Programs
Foodborne Illness Surveillance
The Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services also works with the PA Department of Health in the event of a suspected or confirmed case of foodborne illness to accomplish facility inspections and food sampling when needed.
The Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services strives to use public outreach and educational programs in concert with regulatory inspections and testing programs to assure Pennsylvania residents that the food they consume will meet the highest standards of food safety.
The Department of Agriculture maintains a fully equipped food analysis laboratory. The laboratory has the capability to perform a variety of food safety-related tasks, including:
- Testing of foods, animal feeds, and animal tissues for pesticide residues
- Microbial testing yeast, mold, coliform, e.coli, salmonella and other foodborne pathegens.
- Testing of dairy products for bacterial contamination, growth inhibitors, and butterfat content
- Evaluation of foods for adulteration, chemicals and composition.
- For more information about the Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services, please contact:
For more information, please contact:
Bill Chirdon
Director, Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services
2301 N. Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: 717-787-4315 |