A health inspector in Harrisburg checks a bar. (Christopher Millette | PennLive.com file photo)

From diners to dives, high-end restaurants to fast food -- no one escapes the eye of the health inspector.

At least once a year, these trained professionals scour professional kitchens for potential health issues, correcting as many as possible on the spot. It can be difficult. Most restaurants are revealed to have at least a few violations in a given year, a lot of them fairly minor. But it's a process designed to keep diners safe.

"The goal is not to dock people for things," said Shannon Powers, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which conducts many of the inspections. "The goal is to get them to do things right, so the public is not at risk."

So, with that safety in mind, we once again dove into the Agriculture Department's public database of restaurant inspections to see how the Lehigh Valley's eateries fared in 2018. And we asked the restaurants with the most violations (20 or more) what they've done to fix the problems cited.

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Putting this list in context

There are some things to note about the information listed below:

We narrowed the scope: The department's full database includes much more than restaurants. But for this list, we only considered sit-down or take-out locations in Lehigh and Northampton counties with 20 or more health code violations during the calendar year. Gas stations, bodegas, grocery stores, caterers, concession stands and the like are not included.

The number of violations is only a start: "An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment," the Agriculture Department notes on its database. However, inspectors consider both the quantity and severity of the violations when determining if a site is out of compliance, and requires a follow-up inspection. Some of the violations included in a restaurant's count are repeat violations that surface in a follow-up inspection.

Restaurants got to respond: To provide context to this list, we provide brief summaries with some of the inspectors' notes from the database to provide an idea how significant, or not, the restaurants' violations are. We also gave each restaurant at least 24 hours to explain the violations and what they have done since. Not everyone spoke to us, but those that did have their responses included in their entries.

Almost everyone listed below is currently in compliance: As of Tuesday, Jan. 22, all but one of the restaurants included in our list were deemed to be in compliance. That means that many of the problems identified in last year's inspections have been addressed to the inspectors' satisfaction.

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A health inspector goes through a kitchen. (Ken Stevens | MLive.com file photo)

How health inspections work

Inspections are conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, or by some cities' health bureaus. An inspector will go into a restaurant looking at retail practices like food storage, and risk factors for foodborne illness, like preparation and cleanliness. Any violations, no matter how minor, are noted on a report made publicly available on the Agriculture Department's website.

The inspector will go through the facility with the owner or manager and usually have them correct things as they go. A restaurant is said to be out of compliance when any issues found require a repeat visit by the inspector, Powers said. Problems that can't be immediately fixed will be given a deadline, usually a month or two, in which a surprise follow-up inspection will be conducted.

Inspections in the Lehigh Valley's two counties had a compliance rate of more than 93 percent in 2018, according to department statistics.

It is rare that health inspectors will immediately close a restaurant; that requires "an imminent risk to human health" like vermin or a sewer backup, Powers said. As of mid-January, there were only five restaurants closed statewide due to health issues, she said. None of them were in the Lehigh Valley.

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Turn In Diner Family Restaurant

Address: 162 N. Walnut St., Bath

Violations: 20

Inspection notes: Assorted foods in the walk-in cooler stored open with no covering; assorted foods such as cheese, cooked meat, eggs were held at 47-50 degrees Fahrenheit in the prep unit on cookline, rather than 41 degrees or below as required; deli slicer observed to have food residue and was not clean to sight and touch; handwash sink in the kitchen area was blocked by cleaning equipment in sink and not accessible at all times for employee use.

Restaurant's response: Minor violations were corrected on site, owner Tony Petropoulos said. A cooler that wasn't maintaining temperature of 40 degrees was scheduled for repair, but led to two re-inspections in the meantime.

"We weren't using it but it was in an area where it could be used," Petropoulos said.

He also said some requirements, such as wrapping all silverware, aren't enforced in other inspection jurisdictions.

"It's not as consistent a process as it's sometimes made out to be," Petropoulos said.

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3 Men & a Bagel

Address: 1259 S. Cedar Crest Blvd., Salisbury Township

Violations: 20 (still out of compliance as of Jan. 24)

Inspection notes: "Extremely" dirty floor; certification not posted in public view; accumulated dust, dirt and food residue around sink area; duct tape used to seal gaps on counter areas is frayed and peeling; some prepackaged foods missing labels.

Restaurant's response: Did not respond to messages or an email by deadline.

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Schnecksville Diner

Address: 4527 Route 309, North Whitehall Township

Violations: 20

Inspection notes: Various foods were held at 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the cook line cooler area, rather than 41 degrees or below as required; light intensity in the food preparation area was not at least 50 foot candles, with half the lights out above waitress and cook line area; plumbing system not maintained in good repair; metal shield on interior of ice machine has missing pieces of metal with rusted chipped edges over top of the ice storage bin.

Restaurant's response: "The Schnecksville Diner had its regular scheduled inspection in December of 2018 and was out of compliance. All violations were corrected within 48 hours," owner John Pittas said by email. "The management took advantage of the opportunity and chose to remain closed to further update furnishings and kitchen equipment. Many appliances that were in storage area and equipment that was not being used were also removed from the premises during this time period. Refrigerators, freezers, stoves and food preparation equipment, including working tables were also replaced with more updated and more efficient equipment and furnishings. During the follow up inspection of the facilities, inspector found restaurant all cleaned up, equipment changed /updated and all violations were corrected as stated on the PA. Dept of Agriculture website. The restaurant was reopened for business the very next day.

"I don’t feel it would be appropriate to criticize or analyze the findings of the inspection.

"I personally felt that the inspector did her job but could had given us a day or two to correct them. Closing the restaurant was overkill and not necessary, especially since everything could had been corrected on the spot and after the closing hour (during the night and overnight) when we close the restaurant. In the 14 years that I operate the restaurant, there was never an outbreak nor had anyone got sick eating at Schnecksville Diner. The truth of the matter is that there was no contaminated or hazardous food found during the inspection! That would had been a cause to immediately shut down the restaurant in my opinion."

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Ritz Barbecue

Address: 302 N. 17th St., Allentown

Violations: 20

Inspection notes: Ice machine has some mold growth; rodent droppings under shelves; walk-in is dripping condensation into a bucket, exposing food to splash; ceiling and walls in basement walk-in are peeling and chipping and present contamination risk; chemicals in storage room stored next to condiments.

Restaurant's response: Could not reach the owner after several phone calls.

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Nostos

Address: 701 N. 19th St., Allentown

Violations: 20

Inspection notes: Dirty knives were observed throughout the kitchen, slicer was dirty, can opener was dirty, potato slicer was dirty; food was being thawed in standing water, rather than with cold running water as required; no paper towels provided at the hand sink in the kitchen; insides of two unused chest freezers were dirty; un-shielded light fixtures in the kitchen.

Restaurants's response: "They were all minor. There was nothing major," said manager Pete Venardos, noting violations were addressed "within a week."

"Mostly it was about details, cleaning up a little bit," he continued. "Now we do it regularly, and way better than we used to do."

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Jan Somma-Hammel | Staten Island Advance file photo

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Kom'e

Address: 2880 Center Valley Road, Upper Saucon Township

Violations: 20

Inspection notes: Black mold-like substance on inside walls of ice bins; employee seen eating breakfast in hibachi prep area; shrimp thawing in open colander; pooled drain water in kitchen area floor; not placing date on shellfish tag to indicate when shellfish removed.

Restaurant's response: A manager said he had to check with ownership before commenting; no response by deadline.

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Italiano Delite Inc.

Address: 1985 Brookside Road, Lower Macungie Township

Violations: 20

Inspection notes: "Person in Charge does not have adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by" non-compliant inspection Nov. 1, 2018; roach infestation both live and dead and observed on counters, bain-marie and various equipment; evidence of roach feces on walls, on food boxes, etc. throughout facility; several food products in the ice cream area, kitchen, walk-in cooler area stored open with no covering; observed kitchen cooking equipment with encrusted grease and soil accumulation.

Restaurant's response: We were unable to get comment by phone, and an email seeking comment was not immediately returned.

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Cali Burrito

Address: 2149 Reading Road, Allentown

Violations: 20

Inspection notes: Person in charge not monitoring employee activities; knife being stored in walk-in cooler, stuck in a box of jalapeños; employee seen prepping food, wiping gloved hands on soiled rag on waist then continuing food prep; employee was observed touching his face with gloved hands then touching chips; wiping cloths are being used for multiple tasks, are being allowed to come into contact with ready-to-eat food, and are being stored in the pockets of employees; in fridge, a reusable food basket was being used as a scoop; "employees were transferring soup from a soup pot to smaller containers. While doing this the soup pot was stored on the floor. Do not store food directly on the floor."

Restaurant's response: A general manager did not answer multiple calls to his cellphone for comment.

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Torre

Address: 2960 Center Valley Parkway, Upper Saucon Township

Violations: 21

Inspection notes: Interior discharge chute of the Hoshizaki ice builder shows easily observable pinkish-red slime directly over the ice holding bin; employees in food production areas observed to prepare food products lacking hair restraints; rear door is open "with small sparrow-like bird entering dry storage at 1:13 PM this date" (July 25, 2018); spillage of dry ingredients on floor perimeter in dry stock area; food facility does not have the original certificate for the certified food employee posted in public view.

Restaurant's response: "We regret that any initial health inspection report completed during 2018 was not up to our high standards at Torre, where we have always been in compliance with state health inspection standards," corporate chef Christopher Heath wrote in an email. "Nearly all recorded violations were corrected immediately on the spot during an initial 2018 inspection, and all others were corrected for a follow-up inspection, which was completed promptly and which Torre passed with flying colors. We appreciate the vigilance of the local health inspection team and have taken steps to ensure that even the smallest requirements are met on a daily basis.

"Please also note that at no point during 2018 was Torre ruled Out of Compliance with food safety standards: both our 7/25 inspection and our follow-up 8/9 inspection resulted in 'In Compliance' rulings for Torre."

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Kelly McEwan | lehighvalleylive.com file photo

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Queen City Diner & Family Restaurant

Address: 1801 Lehigh St., Allentown

Violations: 21

Inspection notes: Improper use of rodenticide in dry storage area; food in walk-in and cooler on cook's line stored without covering; fridge on cook's line not working, requires repair or replacement; various foods stored too warm or improperly.

Restaurant's response: Owner George Draklellis said that numbers don't tell the whole story; some places may be inspected multiple times a year depending on what health department has jurisdiction (he said Allentown checks his diner three or four times), which can mean more violations. Also, the time of day could influence things. Checking one place in the morning when everything is "nice and neat" can be very different from an inspection during the "controlled chaos" of a diner's lunch rush. "It's really not a big deal if the lid on the bucket of spaghetti wasn't put back on right away, is it?" he asked.

"It's not fair to us that you guys just report the numbers," Draklellis said. "This business is my livelihood. I'm 51 years old and I've been doing this since I was 16. ... I'm not in this business to make people sick, I'm in this business to make the best product I can."

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Don Treeger | The Republican

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Nick's Diner

Address: 1802 W. Tilghman St., Allentown

Violations: 21

Inspection notes: Food employee's beverage container at the dish machine was not lidded, as required; sugar scoop was stored with the handle touching the product; no detectable concentration of chlorine in the final rinse cycle of the low-temperature dish machine; some pans were stored on the floor of the kitchen; slicer was dirty; floor under the oven is dirty; outside of the grease dumpster had an accumulation of grease on it.

Restaurant's response: Nick, who did not provide a last name, insisted the violations were from "three years ago" not 2018 and was "not interested" in speaking to a reporter.

"If you check my health inspection lately you see just approximately zero" violations, he did say.

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J's Steaks & Subs

Address: 1100 Bushkill St., Easton

Violations: 21

Inspection notes: Mold visible on tray and shelving in walk-in cooler; refrigerator not capable of maintaining food at 41 degrees or below, needs repair; slicer has food residue, must be dismantled and cleaned; employee whose certification is displayed no longer works there; fire suppression system over cooking equipment not serviced in over a year.

Restaurant response: Everything identified by inspectors has been corrected, owner Eddie Lozano said, though he added that perhaps they should have been fixed faster. Sometimes that has to do with the age of the building or other unexpected delays, but Lozano said he and his staff plan to be make corrections more quickly following inspections. None of the violations were "critical," he noted. Lozano said that overall he is very proud of his staff and location, both of which get good reviews online.

"I think we've kind of learned our lesson and hope to do better going forward," he said. "It's hard (for an inspector) to not find a violation. But they get corrected."

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Rachel Sonnenshine | MLive.com file photo

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Jack's Slice

Address: 3400 Tilghman St., Allentown

Violations: 22

Inspection notes: Employee was observed going between cleaning and food preparation while wearing the same gloves; employee observed handling raw animal proteins then touching ready-to-eat foods while wearing the same gloves; bottled beverages stored in ice used as an ingredient in drinks; pizza stored in the kitchen beside the pizza oven without temperature control or records of cooking time or discard time; mop stored so that the head is stored directly on top of a box of bamboo skewers and condiment packages.

Restaurant's response: "Most of the violations were just like stupid things on our part," owner Frank Longo said, noting "most were corrected on spot."

"It was just like petty stuff," he continued. "I guess it's their job. I understand why they do it."

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Foo Joy Restaurant

Address: 3229 Hamilton Blvd., South Whitehall Township

Violations: 22

Inspection notes: Dried food built up on slicer, grinder, prep bench, bins; spilled food in walk-in; open containers of vegetables stored under meats in walk-in cooler; bay sink used for food prep; lack of managerial control on license renewals, cleaning and sanitizing.

Restaurant response: No response to a call or email by deadline.

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Winstons West Indian & American Restaurant

Address: 619 N. Seventh St., Allentown

Violations: 23

Inspection notes: No detectable concentration of chlorine in the solution in which the wiping cloths were stored; individual was observed eating in the kitchen; paper towel dispenser at the hand sink at the front service counter was empty; cutting board was not sanitized after being washed; fruit flies were observed in the kitchen.

Restaurant's response: "None of them was any health issue or they would've closed the restaurant," owner Winston Barnes said. "It's just some minor stuff. ... It's all good now. I'm in compliance."

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Hop Po 7th

Address: 647 N. Seventh St., Allentown

Violations: 23

Inspection notes: Rodent bait left uncovered under a freezer in food prep area; worker did not wash hands after using the bathroom; egg rolls, chicken sitting out of refrigeration and too warm; shrimp thawing in container of standing water; raw chicken stored over broccoli.

Restaurant's response: Standard procedure when a health inspector comes is to fix any issues pointed out right away; when they return for a follow-up, everything is OK. "We fixed all violations already," said Daniel Chen, one of the workers.

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Pizza Hut (No. 25453)

Address: 1751 S. Fourth St., Allentown

Violations: 24

Inspection notes: Condensate from the walk-in freezer leaking onto food boxes, affecting the packaging; hot water heater is leaking, leaving a constant puddle in kitchen; mops are not being hung to air dry; cleaning of the floors is not being done at a frequency to prevent accumulation of dirt, grease and debris; premises have excessive amount of litter on lawn and around the building and parking lot; cheese and herb mixture in walk-in cooler stored with no date of opening.

Restaurant's response: Call for comment was disconnected. There was no immediate response from a call for comment to Pizza Hut media relations.

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McDonald's (No. 05225)

Address: 6896 Hamilton Blvd., Upper Macungie Township

Violations: 24

Inspection notes: Ready-to-eat food stored near hand-washing sink, where it could be splashed; mechanical ware washing equipment has lime-like residue; water-damaged ceiling tiles in customer seating area; sliced cheese seen on hot line shelves discolored (discarded immediately).

Restaurant's response: Fast food franchises can be different from other restaurants because they go through more inspections -- not just the health department, but also from the franchise organization and corporate, said Doug Bishop, director of operations for the 11-restaurant franchise that includes this Hamilton Boulevard McDonald's.

All managers are required to take a food safety class, he said. And sometimes they can correct health inspectors' findings: Bishop said the violation for cheese being out too long didn't take into account that McDonald's cheese is made differently from cheeses more commonly available.

"That's one of the things with the public that when you say, 'Oh you have a number of violations,' then people say, 'Oh this isn't a safe place to eat.' And that may not be true," he said. "A lot of violations makes it seem like there's a problem, but there may be not."

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(SEE THE 2017 RESTAURANT VIOLATIONS LIST)

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Rincon Del Pueblo Restaurant

Address: 546 N. Seventh St., Allentown

Violations: 25

Inspection notes: Tripe was found thawing at room temperature instead of, as is permitted, at refrigeration temperatures, under cold running water or as part of the cooking process; food employee went from handling beans that had fallen onto the floor in dry storage back to peeling plantains without first washing hands and changing gloves; soap and paper towels were not provided at all hand sinks in the facility; dead mice were observed on a glue trap; light fixture in the kitchen is not shielded.

Restaurant's response: Call for comment was disconnected.

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Gourmet Buffet & Grill

Address: 3317 Hamilton Blvd., South Whitehall Township

Violations: 25

Inspection notes: Lack of active managerial control regarding proper reheating operations; build up of spilled food, brown congealed oil on the floor under the fryer line; hand sink at the sushi bar has minimal hot water due to failing ring or valve; numerous food containers including shellfish stored directly on floor in walk in cooler.

Restaurant's response: Finding some health violations is not unusual in the restaurant business, but nothing seen at Gourmet Buffet & Grill was serious enough to warrant a shutdown, owner Ken Lin said. "We never got closed down for our business. ... They even told us we keep our facility very well," Lin said of his restaurant's three inspections in 2018. "Every time that (health inspectors) come out, they always mark a couple violations. That means they're working. ... If you wouldn't see that, that means they're not doing their job."

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Chopsticks II

Address: 1433 Allen St., Allentown

Violations: 26

Inspection notes: A bird was observed entering through a propped-open door (it subsequently flew out); no detectable concentration of chlorine in the sanitizing solution at the three-bay sink; container of scallions found in the ice machine (ice used as an ingredient may not also be used as an exterior coolant); broken eggs shells were found in the bulk container of BBQ sauce, which was subsequently discarded; cooked rice scoop was stored in water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, not in water maintained at or above 135 degrees, as required.

Restaurant's response: A call for comment was not immediately returned.

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Sette Luna

Address: 219 Ferry St., Easton

Violations: 28

Inspection notes: Food prep in the dish-washing room; pans and cooking equipment coated with food and grease; dirty knives stored with clean; dirty floors; walk-in cooler latch not working and door not closing; painted drywall in basement must be covered with non-porous, non-absorbent paneling; most violations in follow-up inspection were repeats.

Restaurant's response: "There were never any major violations and there was never anything that posed a threat to consumer health and safety," owner Josh Palmer said, clarifying that problems found were "all considered minor." Still, he said the Italian restaurant is taking steps to ensure that those do not appear again -- the entire kitchen staff has health certifications, rather than the required one person in charge. That means multiple people on every shift are watching for possible issues, Palmer said.

Sette Luna registered 21 violations in its first inspection Feb. 2, 2018, and dropped that to seven in a follow-up inspection a week later, the last one on record. That, Palmer says, shows that they're making progress. "If you look at the responsiveness, we took things very seriously and are taking corrective action," he said.

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Matt Smith | lehighvalleylive.com file photo

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New Happy Garden

Address: 501 N. Seventh St., Allentown

Violations: 29

Inspection notes: Raw chicken stored over celery in walk-in cooler; cooked chicken stored in raw chicken boxes; box of chicken was found sitting on top of a trash can; live roaches observed on a glue trap; wet wiping cloths were observed not stored in sanitizing solution, as required; rice found in hot holding at 101 degrees, not at or above 135 degrees as required; outsides of bulk flour and sugar containers are dirty; no sanitizing step was being used at the three-bay sink: "Items being washed must be subsequently rinsed and then sanitized."

Restaurant's response: Call for comment was disconnected.

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Little John's Pizza

Address: 901 Tilghman St., Allentown

Violations: 29

Inspection notes: Bag of sugar chewed through with mouse droppings inside; live roaches; two dirty slicers; equipment on wooden blocks; pizza box containers directly on the floor; exterior door propped open.

Restaurant's response: "We correct(ed) a lot of violations at the time. We keep working on it," said Metin, a manager who declined to provide a last name. He said exterminators are in at least once a month to make sure there are no pests still hanging around.

"We're trying our best," Metin said. "Sometimes (things are) out of our control, like every restaurant and every business."

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Mangu Latin Restaurant

Address: 1139 Union Blvd., Allentown

Violations: 39

Inspection notes: Employees were not following procedures of keeping food safe, shown by the mishandling of raw meat products and also raw chicken by not refrigerating and mixing with ready-to-eat foods; chicken that was delivered was left on a table and had already been recorded as reading 61 degrees, indicating the chicken was not 41 degrees or lower at the time of delivery within the past three hours; cutting board and prep table that was being used to cut food on had food residue on that was not something that was currently being cut; employees were observed placing gloves on their hands after arrival, but not washing their hands first; room off the food storage room is "full of unused equipment and scrap metal ... has never been cleaned, and presents a harborage area for insects and vermin"; four cases of juice concentrate marked to be kept frozen until use were at room temperature for an undetermined length of time.

Restaurant's response: Call for comment was disconnected.

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AL.com file photo

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Jetport Bar and Lounge

Address: 3400 Airport Road, Hanover Township (Lehigh County)

Violations: 39

Inspection notes: Ice machine has black and pink slime (turned off until follow-up); moldy food in walk-in cooler, some stored without lids; dirty, "uncleanable" strainers; dust, dirt, residue on equipment and floors; cutting boards, baking equipment not cleaned regularly, evidenced by old food/mold growth; live roach seen; leaky plumbing; live fruit flies in bar area; 2 dead fruit flies floating in liquor bottle.

Restaurant's response: Multiple calls were not returned by deadline.

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Liu's House

Address: 4128 W. Tilghman St., South Whitehall Township

Violations: 42

Inspection notes: Raw surf clams labeled as blanched (not fully cooked) used for sashimi; escolar misbranded as white tuna, tilapia substituted for red snapper and pompano substituted for yellowtail (hamachi); failure to maintain parasite destruction records including date placed in freezer and freezer temperature for salmon, striped bass and fluke; no calibrate-able thermometer present in freezer to verify parasite destruction; tuna kept at 47.3 degrees Fahrenheit, salmon at 43 degrees and imitation crab meat at 51.2 in sashimi show case (the FDA says bacteria that can cause illness grows quickly in seafood above 40 degrees); black mold accumulated on shelf rack and black mold-like residue in the ice machine; no written procedures for responding to vomitus or fecal matter discharge; "Person in Charge does not have adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by" non-compliant inspection June 12, 2018.

Restaurant's response: We were unable to get comment by phone, and an email seeking comment was not immediately returned.

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(COMING SOON: THE LEHIGH VALLEY RESTAURANTS WITH NO HEALTH CODE VIOLATIONS IN 2018)

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How to file a complaint

Inspectors will conduct routine examinations and follow-ups when required, but inspections can also be spurred by complaints.

If you're dining and see something questionable -- say, insects or vermin, cleaning supplies on a serving surface like a salad bar, or animals in the serving area -- you can call the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department at 866-366-3723 or fill out an online complaint form on the department's consumer protection page. A list of local health departments is also available here.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook.

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