FDACS Citation 3-501.13: Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that
FDACS citation 3-501.13 (Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that) is a General violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code, with 104 citations in the past 12 months across 330 Florida facilities. General food safety requirement.
Sourced from Florida FDACS public inspection records, Jan 2022–present.
FDACS citation 3-501.13 (Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that) is a general food safety violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code.
What the Code Says
3-501.13 — Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that
Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that
— FDA Food Code / Florida FDACS Inspection Standards (FAC 5K-4)
maintains the food at 41°F or less, completely submerged under cold running water with sufficient velocity
to agitate and float off loose particles, or as part of the cooking process. When thawed under cold running
water, ready-to-eat food allowed to rise above 41°F or raw animal food allowed to be above 41°F for more
than 4 hours. 3-501.13 (A)-(D)
Priority Classification
General (General): General food safety requirement.
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 | 24 |
| Palm Beach | 18 |
| Pinellas | 16 |
| Broward | 14 |
| Polk | 8 |
| St. Johns | 8 |
Most Cited Facilities
| Facility | City | Times Cited | Last Cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Raza 2 Mexican Grocery | Jacksonville | 2 | Dec 5, 2025 |
| Pineapples Ac2 (mobile) | Crawfordville | 2 | May 7, 2025 |
| Pompano Supermarket | Pompano Beach | 2 | Sep 9, 2024 |
| Target # 0690 | Port Charlotte | 1 | Apr 2, 2026 |
| Love's Travel Stop # 0228 | Polk City | 1 | Apr 1, 2026 |
| Foodtown # 0802 | West Palm Beach | 1 | Mar 23, 2026 |
| Churromania | Miami | 1 | Mar 20, 2026 |
| E M J Food Mart LLC | Lutz | 1 | Mar 4, 2026 |
Recent Inspector Observations
Target # 0690, Port Charlotte—
DISH/PREP AREA: Wraps thawing at room temperature on prep rack. (COS) Wraps stored in standing cooler during inspection.
Love's Travel Stop # 0228, Polk City—
Love's Kitchen Area- Observed commercially processed chicken being thawed in a tub of standing water. COS- Chicken was moved to an approved thawing method during inspection.
Foodtown # 0802, West Palm Beach—
Kitchen- frozen oxtail sitting on counter to thaw. COS- product placed in walk in cooler to thaw.
Churromania, Miami—
Kitchen - Hot Dogs were found thawing at ambient temperature in ware wash sink with no running water. COS, water faucet was turned on.
E M J Food Mart LLC, Lutz—
Warewashing area: Bag of raw pork placed in sink to thawed. COS: Employee put in a bucket and thawed under running water.
Carroll's Meat Shoppe, Jacksonville—
Meat Room: Cases of meat thawing at room temperature. (COS) Products were moved to the walk-in cooler to complete the thawing process.
Frequently Cited Alongside 3-501.13
6-501.11
3-501.16(A)(2)
3-302.11(A)(1)
2-501.11
4-501.11
3-501.16(A)(1)
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 3-501.13?
- FDACS citation 3-501.13 (Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that) is a General violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code. Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that maintains the food at 41°F or less, completely submerged under cold running water with sufficient velocity to agitate and float off loose particles, or as part of the cooking process. When thawed under cold running water, ready-to-eat food allowed to rise above 41°F or raw animal food allowed to be above 41°F for more than 4 hours. 3-501.13 (A)-(D)
- How serious is FDACS violation 3-501.13 (Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that)?
- General (General): General food safety requirement. This code has been cited 343 times across 330 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
- Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 3-501.13?
- FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 3-501.13 (Time/temperature control for safety food not thawed under refrigeration that) has been cited at 330 such facilities across Florida, with 104 citations in the past 12 months.
- What does a General FDACS violation mean?
- A General FDACS violation means: General food safety requirement. 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.