FDACS Citation 4-501.12: Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when

Overview

FDACS citation 4-501.12 (Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when) is a General violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code, with 137 citations in the past 12 months across 418 Florida facilities. General food safety requirement.

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

GeneralPriority Level
Ch. 4Equipment, Utensils, and Linens
137Citations (12 mo)
438Total Citations
418Facilities Cited

FDACS citation 4-501.12 (Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when) is a general food safety violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code.

What the Code Says

4-501.12 — Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when

Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when
they can no longer be effectively cleaned and sanitized.

— 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 4-501.12 citations
CountyCitations
Miami-Dade62
Palm Beach24
Polk23
St. Lucie19
St. Johns17
Broward13

Most Cited Facilities

Florida FDACS facilities most cited for 4-501.12
FacilityCityTimes CitedLast Cited
Planet Smoothie Lake Mary 2 Mar 30, 2026
El Tesoro Supermarket Hialeah 2 Feb 20, 2026
Djons Village Market Indialantic 2 Nov 17, 2025
Sedanos Supermarket # 0040 Orlando 2 Oct 22, 2025
Bravo Supermarket Kissimmee 2 Feb 4, 2025
Meat Emporium Orlando 2 Nov 15, 2024
Cedar Halal Food & Deli Orlando 2 Oct 21, 2024
La Bonita Uno INC Port St Lucie 2 Mar 24, 2023

Recent Inspector Observations

Antojitos Mexicanos Bendicion, Fort Pierce—

Kitchen- Cutting board on table near the hot holding table has heavy scoring, melting, and discoloration. See stop use order.

Planet Smoothie, Lake Mary—

Preparation Area: Cutting board on the prep table is stained and has deep grooves. (COS) Cutting board was voluntarily discarded during inspection. See stop use and release order.

Foodtown # 0802, West Palm Beach—

Meat department- cutting boards heavily scored. COS- cutting boards moved to be resurfaced.

Key Food Supermarket, Daytona Beach—

Seafood market: Cutting board used for food preparation was heavily scored not allowing for proper cleaning and sanitizing to occur. COS Cutting board was voluntarily discarded by management.See Order

El Tesoro Supermarket, Hialeah—

Food Service Area: Observed cutting board soil surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when they can no longer be effectively cleaned and sanitized.

Tlalchapa Tienda Mexicana 2, Deland—

Meat room: Scored cutting boards stored clean at ware washing sink. COS: Manager voluntarily discarded scored cutting boards. See stop use and release order.

Frequently Cited Alongside 4-501.12

6-501.11

Physical facilities not maintained in good repair

517 co-citations

2-501.11

Establishment does not have written procedures for employees to follow when

252 co-citations

5-205.11

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

211 co-citations

3-501.16(A)(2)

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

206 co-citations

4-501.11

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

203 co-citations

6-501.12

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

184 co-citations

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FDACS citation code 4-501.12?
FDACS citation 4-501.12 (Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when) is a General violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code. Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when they can no longer be effectively cleaned and sanitized.
How serious is FDACS violation 4-501.12 (Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when)?
General (General): General food safety requirement. This code has been cited 438 times across 418 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 4-501.12?
FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 4-501.12 (Surfaces that are subject to scratching or scoring not resurfaced or discarded when) has been cited at 418 such facilities across Florida, with 137 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.

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