FDACS Citation 4-501.16: Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw

Overview

FDACS citation 4-501.16 (Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw) is a General violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code, with 3 citations in the past 12 months across 19 Florida facilities. General food safety requirement.

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

GeneralPriority Level
Ch. 4Equipment, Utensils, and Linens
3Citations (12 mo)
20Total Citations
19Facilities Cited

FDACS citation 4-501.16 (Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw) is a general food safety violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code.

What the Code Says

4-501.16 — Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw

Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw
food or wash produce, or not cleaned before and after being used to wash wiping cloths. 4-501.16 (B)

— 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 4-501.16 citations
CountyCitations
Levy3
Pasco1
Pinellas1
DeSoto1
Union1
Gilchrist1

Most Cited Facilities

Florida FDACS facilities most cited for 4-501.16
FacilityCityTimes CitedLast Cited
Shop & Hop #1 Fanning Springs 2 May 13, 2025
Pan's Food Mart Live Oak 1 Jan 29, 2026
Neighborhood Mart Arcadia 1 Aug 5, 2025
Primo Water Lehigh Acres 1 Jun 4, 2025
Indian Pass General Store Joe 1 Apr 7, 2025
Sunshine011 LLC High Springs 1 Jan 8, 2025
Save-a-lot # 24918 Clewiston 1 Jul 17, 2024
Jiffy Food Mart # 1553 Trenton 1 Jan 24, 2024

Recent Inspector Observations

Neighborhood Mart, Arcadia—

Back area- the 3-compartment sink has raw chicken residues and unclean pans in the compartments while thawing raw chicken in the basin.

Primo Water, Lehigh Acres—

Kitchen Area- Employee ware washing and prepping raw chicken at three compartment sink. (COS) Employee removed detergent solution and cleaned/sanitized sink.

Shop & Hop #1, Fanning Springs—

Ware Washing Area - Observed ware wash sink used to store boxes and other miscellaneous items. Discussed with management concerning the need to have the ware washing equipment available for proper sanitization of equipment and utensils.

Indian Pass General Store, Joe—

Ware wash area: Ware wash sink observed with sand and splatter spots like substance inside and a mop and dusting tool above the sanitize compartment of the ware wash sink. Knife, Cooking Spice And Chemical Store above the sink. COS Ware wash sink was cleaned and sanitized during the inspection, all items above the ware wash sink were removed and relocated.

Sunshine011 LLC, High Springs—

Back Room Area - Ware wash sink was used to store backpack and hand-held blowers. COS - Blowers were removed and the ware wash sink was sanitized before completion of the inspection.

Save-a-lot # 24918, Clewiston—

MEAT: processing chicken and cleaning equipment in the sink at the same time (cos) sink cleaned

Frequently Cited Alongside 4-501.16

6-501.11

Physical facilities not maintained in good repair

23 co-citations

2-501.11

Establishment does not have written procedures for employees to follow when

12 co-citations

6-501.12

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

10 co-citations

2-102.11(C)(2)-(3)

Person in charge does not correctly respond to questions that relate to preventing

9 co-citations

6-301.14

Sign or poster notifying food employees to wash their hands not provided at all

9 co-citations

4-601.11(C)

Nonfood-contact surface of equipment has an accumulation of dust, dirt, food

8 co-citations

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FDACS citation code 4-501.16?
FDACS citation 4-501.16 (Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw) is a General violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code. Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw food or wash produce, or not cleaned before and after being used to wash wiping cloths. 4-501.16 (B)
How serious is FDACS violation 4-501.16 (Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw)?
General (General): General food safety requirement. This code has been cited 20 times across 19 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 4-501.16?
FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 4-501.16 (Warewashing sink not cleaned and sanitized before and after being used to thaw) has been cited at 19 such facilities across Florida, with 3 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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