FDACS Citation 3-501.18: Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not

Overview

FDACS citation 3-501.18 (Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not) is a Priority violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code, with 92 citations in the past 12 months across 714 Florida facilities. Directly linked to foodborne illness or injury. Requires immediate corrective action.

Sourced from Florida FDACS public inspection records, Jan 2022–present.

PriorityPriority Level
Ch. 3Food
92Citations (12 mo)
741Total Citations
714Facilities Cited

Under Florida FDACS inspection rules, citation 3-501.18 (Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not) is a priority violation addressing Food standards.

What the Code Says

3-501.18 — Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not

Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not
discarded when it exceeds the 7-day limit, except time that the product is frozen, or does not bear a date
mark and the correct date mark cannot be determined.

— FDA Food Code / Florida FDACS Inspection Standards (FAC 5K-4)

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

Florida counties with the most 3-501.18 citations
CountyCitations
Miami-Dade28
Pasco22
Polk21
Santa Rosa19
St. Johns19
Palm Beach18

Most Cited Facilities

Florida FDACS facilities most cited for 3-501.18
FacilityCityTimes CitedLast Cited
Key Food Supermarket Daytona Beach 2 Mar 20, 2026
B & B Bar B Que Apalachicola 2 Feb 23, 2026
Walmart #767 Establishment #: 73583 Lake City 2 Dec 17, 2025
County Line Mobil Plant City 2 Nov 7, 2025
Winn Dixie # 2246 Apopka 2 Oct 27, 2025
Hitchcocks Supermarket Old Town 2 Oct 22, 2025
Jay Shree Krishna 22 LLC Weeki Wachee 2 Sep 10, 2025
East Palatka Markets INC. East Palatka 2 Sep 2, 2025

Recent Inspector Observations

360 Food Store, Lynn Haven—

Kitchen: Container of commercially processed chicken held in three-door reach-in cooler since 3/9/25. COS: Product was voluntarily discarded. See Stop Sale and Release Order. x

Jacqueline's Bakery & Cafe, Melbourne—

Sandwich prep- Prosciutto held in sandwich cooler was not date marked and person in charge was not able to determine when it was opened. Chicken salad was held in sandwich cooler with a preparation date of 3/17. COS- Both items were voluntarily discarded by person in charge and witnessed by inspector. See stop sale and release. x

Cali Cafe, Riverview—

Sandwich prep area: Sliced ham held in sandwich prep cooler date marked with open/sliced date of 3/16/26 exceeds 7 day discard limit two days prior to inspection. COS: Ham voluntarily discarded by food manager as witnessed by inspector. x

Key Food Supermarket, Daytona Beach—

Deli area: a variety of deli meats does not bear a date mark and the correct dates could not be determined. COS: All product was voluntarily discarded by managementSee Order x

The Fresh Market # 218, Boca Raton—

Food service: Pork Roll displayed in deli case were prepared 03/02 were not date marked during the visit on 03/08/2026. COS: Items were properly date marked during visit. See stop order and release. x

Joeys Italian Market, Odessa—

Deli area: Cannoli cream in walk-in cooler marked as prep 2/8 and not discarded within 7 days. COS: Employee voluntarily discarded the product. Stop Sale order and Release issued. x

Frequently Cited Alongside 3-501.18

6-501.11

Physical facilities not maintained in good repair

478 co-citations

3-501.16(A)(2)

Cold held time/temperature control for safety food not maintained at 41°F or below

318 co-citations

2-501.11

Establishment does not have written procedures for employees to follow when

306 co-citations

3-501.16(A)(1)

Hot held time/temperature control for safety food not maintained at 135°F or above,

250 co-citations

3-302.11(A)(1)

Raw animal food not separated during storage, preparation, holding or display from

247 co-citations

4-501.11

Equipment not maintained in good repair or condition; equipment component not

238 co-citations

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FDACS citation code 3-501.18?
FDACS citation 3-501.18 (Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not) is a Priority violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code. Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not discarded when it exceeds the 7-day limit, except time that the product is frozen, or does not bear a date mark and the correct date mark cannot be determined.
How serious is FDACS violation 3-501.18 (Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not)?
Priority (P): Directly linked to foodborne illness or injury. Requires immediate corrective action. This code has been cited 741 times across 714 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 3-501.18?
FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 3-501.18 (Ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food that requires date marking not) has been cited at 714 such facilities across Florida, with 92 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.

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