"They don't necessarily have any specific training in food safety," said Stacy Mitchell, deputy secretary for quality assurance in the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Delaware County also is the only place in the region where hospital kitchens' full inspection reports are not available to the public, even upon request. (Specific violations are posted online.)
Officials at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said they welcomed the city's rigorous inspections.
"Patient safety is the No. 1 priority here," said Chad Hough, senior vice president of clinical support services. Children's relies on a mix of in-house staff and outside management and technology from Aramark, the Philadelphia food-services multinational, to prepare solid food in several kitchens for visitors, employees, and patients, plus 150 types of infant formula as well as fortified breast milk.