At least one business in Center County was found to be out of compliance after routine food safety inspections conducted throughout November.
The only one in the county that failed an inspection was a Chinese restaurant in downtown State College. There, inspections found signs of infestation and other cleaning issues.
Nearly 40 other agencies that passed inspection with few or no violations appear in this article in alphabetical order.
Information about county agencies and their violations is listed below in alphabetical order, along with summaries of issues noted by inspectors in their respective reports. For more details, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s online database.
Business owners wishing to clarify or comment on inspection results can contact Center Daily reporter Matt DiSanto via email at mdisanto@centredaily.com.
About food safety inspections
Under Pennsylvania law, eating establishments are inspected at least once a year. Some schools, including the State College District School District, receive inspections twice a year.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture may conduct additional inspections if a complaint is received or an initial inspection does not meet specifications.
Most observed violations are minor and corrected during the inspection process, but some sites may be temporarily closed if too many violations are found. Closures may be due to other issues, including the risk of foodborne illness or violations that take time to resolve, such as broken pipes or pest infestations.
Most inspections in Center County are conducted at the state level through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. More than 100 cities conduct health inspections directly through certified officials within their jurisdictions. For example, a borough official said State College is responsible for conducting inspections in the borough as well as in Ferguson, Patton and College Township.
Once inspections are completed and reports are published, you can view them online at pafoodsafety.state.pa.us/web/inspection/publicinspectionsearch.aspx. You can find institutions by name or filter results to specific cities, counties, and zip codes.
Violation inspection in November
Little Sichuan228 W. College Ave. STATE COLLEGE — A routine inspection of this Chinese restaurant on Nov. 20 revealed five violations, mostly related to cleanliness.
According to a report by State College District Health Specialist Brian O’Donnell, the restaurant prepared fried chicken at a temperature of 61 degrees Fahrenheit, well above the 41-degree Fahrenheit limit required by code. The food was thrown away during the inspection.
O’Donnell’s report states he found a dead cockroach on a storage rack above meat being prepared for food service. Shelves are cleaned and disinfected immediately. Other dead cockroaches were found in the trap.
Additionally, O’Donnell observed torn rubber door gaskets on three doors connected to the bench cooler particles. He also found rice, oil and food scraps under equipment, shelves and prep tables. The floor of a walk-in cooler under a shelf in the restaurant was also stained with food debris, the report said.
Non-food contact surfaces “were not regularly cleaned to prevent the accumulation of dirt and soil,” O’Donnell wrote in the report. The sides of some fryers and kitchen equipment were also stained with oil.
Food scraps can attract insects and pests, O’Donnell noted in the report.
The Little Sichuan restaurant was inspected after officials received a complaint that a customer claimed they found insects in the restaurant’s takeaway food. O’Donnell’s inspection found ample evidence of infestation. As of the inspection on November 20, Little Sichuan had last received pest control treatment on October 28, and treatments were planned to be carried out monthly.
“[The] Businesses must be thoroughly cleaned to remove food sources for pests,” O’Donnell wrote in published comments.
How to complain about conditions
If you notice a problem at a retail food or accommodation establishment, you can file a complaint to bring it to the attention of officials.
To report to the Commonwealth any questionable conditions in which food is served or sold to the public, call 1-866-366-3723 or complete the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Complaint Form (available online at: pda.pa.gov/FoodSafetyComplaint/). The form asks for consumer information, facility details and a complete description of each complaint.
You can also contact the Federal Agency for Food Safety and Laboratory Services directly by calling 717-787-4315 or emailing RA-FoodSafety@pa.gov.
Locally, you can report concerns to State College officials by calling 814-234-7100 or emailing healthdept@statecollegepa.us.
These institutions passed inspections in November
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alloy kitchen2042 Axman Road, Bellefonte
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AVI @ Center Crest Care – Bellefonte – Market C502 E. Howard St. (Bellefonte)
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AVI @ Encompass Nittany Valley Health and Rehabilitation Hospital776 College Ave. Bellefonte
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bagel crust225 W. Beaver Ave. State College
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bald eagle area middle and high school751 S. Eagle Valley Road, Wingate
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Barnes & Noble Cafe #435 and Barney’s Convenience Store #142University Park MO10C Hub-Robeson Center
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beard fieldOld Park Avenue, College Park
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Bellefonte Senior Resource Center502 E. Howard St. Suite 120 Bellefonte
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Blue and White Bar and Bottle Shop218 W. Beaver Ave. State College
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Bonfire old fashioned barbecue2609 E. College Ave. State College
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Brothers Pizza221 N. Front St. Phillipsburg
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wow cafe234 E. College Ave State College
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Chipotle Mexican Grill #33571850 N. Atherton St. State College
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diplomat329 E. Beaver Ave. State College
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Hockey Arena (Penn State University)Curtin Road, University Park
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flour and stones125 E. Pine Grove Road in Pine Grove Mills
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Flour Railroad Farm Store625 Sunken Creek Road, Spring Mills
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Greenberg Show Dining Facility109 Lasch College Park Football Building
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Heirloom Bakery and Sweets105 Olive St. Snowshoes
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Hilltop Farm3796 Jacksonville Road, Bellefonte
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hub catering33 University Park Hub-Robeson Center
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Laurel Springs Cider354 Egg Hill Road, Spring Mills
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Logan Grange #109 (TFS4)122 N. Main St. in Pleasant Gap
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Peak maintenance station529 E. Sycamore Road Snowshoes
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Crazy About You (Bryce Jordan Center)720 Curtin Road, University Park
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Nuts for You (Pegula Ice Arena)250 University Drive University Park
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armored stadiumDaxue Avenue and Doyle Road in University Park
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Pegula Ice Arena250 University Drive University Park
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entertainment hall, 12 Curtin Road, University Park
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Penn Valley Cafe2493 Fox Hill Road State College
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Pollock Restaurant215 Pollock Commons University Park
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Sheets #4502850 Benner Pike, Bellefonte
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Stone Meadow Farm (MMF2)Woodward 190 Quarry Bay Road
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brewery233 E. Beaver Ave. State College
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buck station2680 Port Matilda Highway, Phillipsburg
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titan market2042 Axman Road, Bellefonte
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Wingate Elementary School751 South Eagle Valley Road
NOTE: Sometimes the address listed (especially for mobile vendors and food trucks) is not the address where food is actually being served to the public. Please contact these agencies for specific service locations.
