FDACS Citation 3-301.11(B): Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using
FDACS citation 3-301.11(B) (Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using) is a Priority violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code, with 33 citations in the past 12 months across 114 Florida facilities. Directly linked to foodborne illness or injury. Requires immediate corrective action.
Sourced from Florida FDACS public inspection records, Jan 2022–present.
Citation 3-301.11(B) — Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using — is classified as a priority violation under Florida FDACS inspection standards in the Food chapter.
What the Code Says
3-301.11(B) — Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using
Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using
— FDA Food Code / Florida FDACS Inspection Standards (FAC 5K-4)
suitable utensils; alternate method not approved or approved but not followed to allow food employees to
have bare hand contact with exposed ready-to-eat food; or food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat
food with bare hands at the time it is being added to other food items as an ingredient without
cooking/heating the final product to the required temperature to allow bare hand contact.
Priority Classification
Priority (P): Directly linked to foodborne illness or injury. Requires immediate corrective action.
Florida FDACS uses the FDA Food Code priority system — Priority (P) violations have a direct link to foodborne illness; Priority Foundation (Pf) violations support food safety systems; Core (C) violations are good retail practices with no direct illness link.
Citations by County
| County | Citations |
|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | 11 |
| Pinellas | 5 |
| Volusia | 4 |
| Sarasota | 4 |
| Lake | 4 |
| Manatee | 3 |
Most Cited Facilities
| Facility | City | Times Cited | Last Cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Guanajuato | Mascotte | 2 | Apr 23, 2025 |
| Tupelo's Bakery & Cafe | Monticello | 1 | Jan 8, 2026 |
| Walmart #767 Establishment #: 73583 | Lake City | 1 | Dec 17, 2025 |
| Afsan & Thiham Enterprise INC. | Okeechobee | 1 | Dec 3, 2025 |
| Key Food Fresh | Indiantown | 1 | Nov 21, 2025 |
| Fadded Ape 9318 | Tampa | 1 | Oct 3, 2025 |
| Java Junction | Daytona Beach | 1 | Sep 9, 2025 |
| Rubio's Real Mexican Food Store | Mascotte | 1 | Sep 9, 2025 |
Recent Inspector Observations
Tupelo's Bakery & Cafe, Monticello—
Kitchen: Food employee handled freshly cooked banana bread with bare hands. COS. Inspector coached employee. Banana bread was reheated to 145 degrees F. x
Walmart #767 Establishment #: 73583, Lake City—
Front of store - Employee not wear gloves while plating sweets for customers. COS Employee donned gloves before touching any more food products. x
Afsan & Thiham Enterprise INC., Okeechobee—
Food service area- Employee had bare hand contact with ready to eat food while serving the food. COS- Employee washed hands and used tongs. Original food was voluntarily discarded in presence of the inspector. x
Key Food Fresh, Indiantown—
Deli - food employee grabbing ready to eat washed tomato with bare hands during inspection. Cos - tomato was voluntarily discarded during inspection. x
Fadded Ape 9318, Tampa—
Deli: Observed employee touch bun for sandwich with bare hands. COS: Employee discarded bun, washed hands and donned gloves before preparing ready to eat foods. x
Rubio's Real Mexican Food Store, Mascotte—
Kitchen: Washed, uncut tomato that was to be chopped and used in the clam shell prep cooler was touched by employee with bare hands. COS: Employee re-washed tomatoes. x
Frequently Cited Alongside 3-301.11(B)
6-501.11
2-501.11
3-501.16(A)(2)
5-205.11
3-302.11(A)(1)
4-501.11
References
- Florida FDACS Food Establishment Inspections
- FDA Food Code (Current Edition)
- Florida Administrative Code Chapter 5K-4
- All FDACS Citation Codes
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is FDACS citation code 3-301.11(B)?
- FDACS citation 3-301.11(B) (Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using) is a Priority violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code. Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using suitable utensils; alternate method not approved or approved but not followed to allow food employees to have bare hand contact with exposed ready-to-eat food; or food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat food with bare hands at the time it is being added to other food items as an ingredient without cooking/heating the final product to the required temperature to allow bare hand contact.
- How serious is FDACS violation 3-301.11(B) (Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using)?
- Priority (P): Directly linked to foodborne illness or injury. Requires immediate corrective action. This code has been cited 116 times across 114 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
- Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 3-301.11(B)?
- FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 3-301.11(B) (Food employee contacting exposed ready-to-eat foods with bare hands or not using) has been cited at 114 such facilities across Florida, with 33 citations in the past 12 months.
- What does a Priority FDACS violation mean?
- A Priority FDACS violation means: Directly linked to foodborne illness or injury. Requires immediate corrective action. FDACS (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services) uses this classification system — Priority (P), Priority Foundation (Pf), and Core (C) — aligned with the FDA Food Code.
Editorial Standards & Data Oversight
Data Source: Florida FDACS public inspection records, Jan 2022–present. Exclusive archive — FDACS removes records after 4 years.
Citation Standard: FDA Food Code as adopted by Florida FDACS under Florida Statutes Chapter 500 and FAC 5K-4.
Editorial Process: Content generated using AI to synthesize complex regulatory data and inspection records, then reviewed and verified for accuracy by our editorial team.
Disclaimer: Citation descriptions reflect the FDA Food Code and Florida FDACS inspection standards current at time of publication.
Editor: All content reviewed and verified by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., Nationally Registered EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
This page is maintained by FloridaFoodSafety.org. How we collect and verify this data.