CITY RESTAURANT INSPECTION REPORTS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Harrisburg, PA – Mayor Stephen R. Reed today said that the City has partnered with the PA State Department of Agriculture in an effort to publicize all restaurant and food codes inspections via the internet.
Reed said the City of Harrisburg is now the Garrison System to report routine food inspections. The idea was born out of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when municipalities became more aware of the need to share codes-related information. Food-related terrorism has become more of a concern in the post-9/11 world.
Reed said the Garrison System not only publicizes all food inspection reports, but it also has the capacity to generate an alert to all affected businesses within the City of Harrisburg should a food-related outbreak or other emergency circumstance arise, greatly minimizing the adverse impacts of a potential incident.
The Mayor said the cooperative agreement benefits the City in many ways. Reports to food service owners and managers are immediate at the time of inspection. The inspection report is also simultaneously transmitted to the Garrison System regardless of whether or not the restaurant is in compliance with the City’s Health Code. Should a re-inspection be required, the Garrison System will immediately be updated with the results of the most recent inspection.
"The Garrison System is a cutting-edge program that allows for the efficient and transparent publication of food service inspection reports," said Reed. "It is our expectation that through its use, the quality of the food product that leaves the City’s many restaurants will continue to remain of the highest caliber. It gives the consumer direct information about inspection results."
Reed said the City currently has 448 eating establishments listed in the Garrison System for inspection. He said that since the program’s implementation in the City last month, restaurant owners have praised the system for its ability to bolster business.
The Mayor said that all inspection reporting can be viewed by entering the PA Department of Agriculture’s website (www.agriculture.state.pa.us) and clicking on "Online Services" and then on "Food Safety Inspection Results". From that webpage, one must enter either the name of a particular restaurant or the restaurant’s zip code and if the establishment has been recently inspected, an inspection report will be immediately available. Since the online program has just begun, it will take some time before every establishment’s inspection appears. They will be added to the database as each annual inspection occurs. Inspections occur throughout the year or in response to a complaint.
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