Following two months of probationary status for the Jade Palace restaurant, the State College Board of Health lifted sanctions this week against the Chinese restaurant after finding no further sanitation code violations.

The State College Board of Health placed the restaurant, located at 111 Sowers St., under probation in December for past violations involving "improper food temperatures," Health Inspector Kevin Kassab said.

"We just inspected on Jan. 12, and the only violations were minor cleaning violations; they've all been corrected," Kassab said.

Kassab said he presented the results of his recent inspection at a meeting Tuesday night to board members; the Jade Palace's owner, John Sherlock; and the restaurant's landlord.

"Now that the probation is lifted, I'll just do periodic checks. I won't go as often as before," Kassab said. He said he would probably visit the Chinese restaurant once a month.

Standard checks of local restaurants are conducted on a yearly basis, he said. Sherlock said the board issued three citations during its 20 inspections of his restaurant last year.

The first citation was in response to cooks hanging meat -- intended for their own consumption -- out in the open.

"The cooks have been trained in China and Taiwan, and have worked in New York and Philadelphia," Sherlock said. His cooks were not aware of the sanitation regulations, he said.

"Ethnic preparations are usually tolerated in other areas; here they won't allow it," he said.

The second citation was issued when an inspector discovered egg rolls being left out to cool at room temperature, and the third was given when a shipment of chickens was delivered to the restaurant.

"The inspector thought the chickens were being left out too long, but it would take about 10 hours for them to reach room temperature," Sherlock said, adding that the chickens are packed in ice-filled waxed cardboard boxes for delivery.

"We've had no food poisionings. Food is handled at very high temperatures here so we've had very few problems," Sherlock said.

Kassab said during the probation period Sherlock and one Chinese-speaking cook were required to take a food sanitation exam offered by the borough.

Sherlock, who took the exam on Jan. 10, received a 96 percent, and Richard Chew scored an 86 percent when he took the exam on Monday.

Sherlock said bad publicity has had an ill-effect on business.

"People read things. Our business had dropped an awful lot," Sherlock said.

Sherlock said that when a restaurant is inspected, the inspector gives the establishment a list of violations and a time restriction to correct the situations.

"Most of the violations can be corrected within a half hour," he added.

Sherlock, who also owns Ferrara's of Little Italy, 125 S. Pugh St., said that the last inspection at Jade Palace turned up a dirty soda spout on the carbonated beverage system.

"(Kassab) went through here with a fine-tooth comb; we got 92 points out of a possible 100," he said. The restaurant has never scored lower than an 88 on any inspection during two years of business, he said.

"As long as they follow the Pennsylvania state regulations, they'll be fine," Kassab said.

"(Sanitation is) an ongoing thing; everyone in the restaurant is responsible," Sherlock said, adding: "This restaurant is every bit as clean and sanitary as any other restaurant in town."