FDACS Citation 3-601.12: Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color

Overview

FDACS citation 3-601.12 (Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color) is a General violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code, with 10 citations in the past 12 months across 27 Florida facilities. General food safety requirement.

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

GeneralPriority Level
Ch. 3Food
10Citations (12 mo)
31Total Citations
27Facilities Cited

Citation 3-601.12 — Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color — is classified as a general violation under Florida FDACS inspection standards in the Food chapter.

What the Code Says

3-601.12 — Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color

Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color
additives, colored overwraps, or lights used to misrepresent the true appearance, color, or quality of a food.

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

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

Florida counties with the most 3-601.12 citations
CountyCitations
Polk5
Miami-Dade5
Broward1
Franklin1
Sarasota1
St. Lucie1

Most Cited Facilities

Florida FDACS facilities most cited for 3-601.12
FacilityCityTimes CitedLast Cited
J&r Supermarket of Poinciana, INC. Kissimmee 4 Sep 11, 2025
World Market and Cafe Hollywood 1 Mar 27, 2026
La Nueva Isla Supermarket Clermont 1 Oct 23, 2025
Dan's Market Bradenton 1 Aug 7, 2025
Vw Bravo Supermarket Sunset Strip Sunrise 1 Aug 6, 2025
Key Food Supermarket #4264 Hollywood 1 Aug 5, 2025
Vw Publix 0340 Port St Lucie 1 Aug 4, 2025
Enson Market 3 Plantation 1 Jul 8, 2025

Recent Inspector Observations

World Market and Cafe, Hollywood—

Deli Area: Red plastic used over lights in deli display case. COS: Red plastic covered removed at time of inspection by person in charge.

J&r Supermarket of Poinciana, INC., Kissimmee—

Retail Area: Meat cooler has red lighting that could mislead the consumer of the true appearance of raw meat items.

J&r Supermarket of Poinciana, INC., Kissimmee—

Retail Area: Meat cooler has red lighting that could mislead the consumer of the true appearance of raw meat items.

Dan's Market, Bradenton—

Retail area- sleeves of crackers having been removed from the original case are offered for individual sale without ingredient and manufacturers labeling as required.

Vw Bravo Supermarket, Sunset Strip Sunrise—

Retail- Multiple dead blue crabs mixed with live crabs in self-service container in retail. COS, see supplements, a stop sale and release order was issued for the crabs that were voluntarily discarded.

Enson Market 3, Plantation—

Seafood Area: Found 5 tilapia in tank appearing to not be alive and being sold as "Live" reviewed requirements for holding live fish and requested the tanks be monitored more frequently to cull fish appearing to not be alive. COS: Fish voluntarily discarded by person in charge at time of inspection.

Frequently Cited Alongside 3-601.12

6-501.11

Physical facilities not maintained in good repair

32 co-citations

3-302.11(A)(1)

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

16 co-citations

5-205.11

Handwashing sink not maintained so that it is accessible at all times for employee

15 co-citations

3-501.16(A)(2)

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

14 co-citations

6-301.11

Handwashing sink or group of 2 adjacent handwashing sinks not provided with hand

14 co-citations

4-501.11

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

13 co-citations

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FDACS citation code 3-601.12?
FDACS citation 3-601.12 (Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color) is a General violation under Chapter 3 (Food) of the FDA Food Code. Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color additives, colored overwraps, or lights used to misrepresent the true appearance, color, or quality of a food.
How serious is FDACS violation 3-601.12 (Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color)?
General (General): General food safety requirement. This code has been cited 31 times across 27 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 3-601.12?
FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 3-601.12 (Food offered in a way that misleads or misinforms the consumer; or food or color) has been cited at 27 such facilities across Florida, with 10 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.

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