Hepatitis A Prevention Guide for Philadelphia Food Service

PDPH Sanitation & Handwashing Requirements

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health enforces strict handwashing protocols under Pennsylvania's Food Safety Act to prevent Hepatitis A transmission. All food handlers must wash hands with soap and warm running water for at least 20 seconds after using the restroom, handling raw foods, or any activity that may contaminate hands. Hand sanitizer alone is ineffective against Hepatitis A—the virus requires mechanical washing to remove. PDPH inspection standards require accessible, clearly marked handwashing stations in food prep areas, restrooms, and break rooms. Surfaces that may contact contaminated hands (cutting boards, counters, equipment handles) must be sanitized with an approved disinfectant—standard food sanitizer concentrations are insufficient for Hepatitis A inactivation, requiring either bleach solution (100–200 ppm) or EPA-approved hospital-grade disinfectants.

Employee Health Screening & Sick Leave Protocols

Philadelphia food service operations must screen employees daily for symptoms of Hepatitis A, including yellowing skin/eyes (jaundice), dark urine, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. PDPH guidance requires that any symptomatic employee be immediately removed from food handling and sent for testing at a certified lab or healthcare provider. Under Pennsylvania regulations, a positive Hepatitis A diagnosis mandates immediate reporting to the PDPH and exclusion from work until cleared by a healthcare provider (typically 1 week post-symptom onset for non-immunocompromised individuals). Establish a sick leave policy that does not penalize employees for health-related absences—financial pressure to work while ill is a primary driver of foodborne pathogen transmission. Maintain confidential health records and consult PDPH's communicable disease hotline (215-686-5488) if uncertain about an employee's status.

Temperature Control, Produce Handling & Real-Time Monitoring

Hepatitis A is not inactivated by standard cooking temperatures; prevention focuses on preventing contamination before cooking. Raw produce linked to Hepatitis A outbreaks (berries, leafy greens, shellfish harvesting waters) must be sourced from verified suppliers with documented safety certifications. Store raw produce separately from ready-to-eat foods and use dedicated cutting boards to prevent cross-contamination. While temperature controls do not eliminate Hepatitis A risk, maintaining proper cold chain practices (41°F or below for ready-to-eat foods) prevents secondary bacterial contamination that compounds outbreak severity. Deploy real-time monitoring systems like Panko Alerts, which tracks FDA and PDPH outbreak notifications and allows instant response to recalled items. Implement batch tracking for all produce and high-risk items so contaminated sources can be identified and removed within hours rather than days.

Monitor Hepatitis A alerts in real-time. Try Panko free for 7 days.

Real-time food safety alerts from 25+ government sources. AI-scored by urgency. Less than one bad meal a month — $4.99/mo.