FDACS Citation 4-203.12: Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually

Overview

FDACS citation 4-203.12 (Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually) is a Priority Foundation violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code, with 20 citations in the past 12 months across 69 Florida facilities. Supports Priority items. Failure to meet these facilitates food safety failures.

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

Priority FoundationPriority Level
Ch. 4Equipment, Utensils, and Linens
20Citations (12 mo)
70Total Citations
69Facilities Cited

Citation 4-203.12 — Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually — is classified as a priority foundation violation under Florida FDACS inspection standards in the Equipment, Utensils, and Linens chapter.

What the Code Says

4-203.12 — Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually

Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually
scaled in Celsius and Fahrenheit not designed to be easily readable or not accurate to ± 1.5°C in the
intended range of use; or if scaled only in Fahrenheit, not accurate to ± 3°F in the intended range of use.

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

Priority Classification

Priority Foundation (Pf): Supports Priority items. Failure to meet these facilitates food safety failures.

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 4-203.12 citations
CountyCitations
Miami-Dade7
Palm Beach5
St. Johns4
Manatee3
Sarasota3
St. Lucie2

Most Cited Facilities

Florida FDACS facilities most cited for 4-203.12
FacilityCityTimes CitedLast Cited
Publix # 1239 Saint Augustine 2 Apr 30, 2024
Kung Fu Tea/token Ramen Tampa 1 Mar 23, 2026
Dollar General Store #22936 O Brien 1 Mar 12, 2026
Publix # 1237 Stuart 1 Jan 22, 2026
Target # 0898 Casselberry 1 Nov 20, 2025
Vw Walmart Supercenter 6978 Jacksonville 1 Oct 14, 2025
Walmart #929 (main) Port St Lucie 1 Sep 22, 2025
Vw Walmart Supercenter 0705 Mount Dora 1 Aug 5, 2025

Recent Inspector Observations

Kung Fu Tea/token Ramen, Tampa—

Back Processing Area: Ambient thermometer of large silver freezer not in working order. Freezer temperature verified by inspector.

Dollar General Store #22936, O Brien—

Retail Area - Ambient air thermometer inside enclosed produce case is not accurate to plus or minus three degrees F in the intended range of use. Ambient air temperature is 37 degrees F with inspector's calibrated probe thermometer.

Publix # 1237, Stuart—

Retail: Ambient thermometer of display open air deli cooler reads 30 degrees F when ambient temperature were 40 degrees F.

Target # 0898, Casselberry—

Drink Service: Probe portion of ambient thermometer has completely separated from the paper that scales the ambient temperature in small fridge under oven resulting in inaccurate ambient temperatures.

Vw Walmart Supercenter 6978, Jacksonville—

Retail : Multiple island bunker coolers have inaccurate ambient display thermometers.

Vw Walmart Supercenter 0705, Mount Dora—

Back Area: Ambient thermometers for fridge and freezer for online orders is in disrepair. Retail: Ambient thermometer for raw meat case is in disrepair.

Frequently Cited Alongside 4-203.12

6-501.11

Physical facilities not maintained in good repair

44 co-citations

4-501.11

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

38 co-citations

3-501.16(A)(2)

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

29 co-citations

6-501.12

Physical facilities not cleaned as often as necessary to keep them clean, or cleaning

26 co-citations

2-501.11

Establishment does not have written procedures for employees to follow when

21 co-citations

4-204.11

Temperature measuring device sensor not located to measure the air temperature

20 co-citations

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FDACS citation code 4-203.12?
FDACS citation 4-203.12 (Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually) is a Priority Foundation violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code. Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually scaled in Celsius and Fahrenheit not designed to be easily readable or not accurate to ± 1.5°C in the intended range of use; or if scaled only in Fahrenheit, not accurate to ± 3°F in the intended range of use.
How serious is FDACS violation 4-203.12 (Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually)?
Priority Foundation (Pf): Supports Priority items. Failure to meet these facilitates food safety failures. This code has been cited 70 times across 69 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 4-203.12?
FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 4-203.12 (Ambient air and water temperature measuring device scaled in Celsius or dually) has been cited at 69 such facilities across Florida, with 20 citations in the past 12 months.
What does a Priority Foundation FDACS violation mean?
A Priority Foundation FDACS violation means: Supports Priority items. Failure to meet these facilitates food safety failures. 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.

This page is maintained by FloridaFoodSafety.org. How we collect and verify this data.