FDACS Citation 4-602.12: Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24

Overview

FDACS citation 4-602.12 (Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24) is a General violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code, with 41 citations in the past 12 months across 353 Florida facilities. General food safety requirement.

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

GeneralPriority Level
Ch. 4Equipment, Utensils, and Linens
41Citations (12 mo)
362Total Citations
353Facilities Cited

Under Florida FDACS inspection rules, citation 4-602.12 (Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24) is a general violation addressing Equipment, Utensils, and Linens standards.

What the Code Says

4-602.12 — Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24

Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24
hours, or cavity or door seals of microwave oven not cleaned at least every 24 hours by using the
manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedure.

— 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 4-602.12 citations
CountyCitations
Polk19
St. Lucie19
Miami-Dade18
Pinellas16
Marion15
Palm Beach12

Most Cited Facilities

Florida FDACS facilities most cited for 4-602.12
FacilityCityTimes CitedLast Cited
Hb's BBQ Vero Beach 2 Feb 19, 2026
Thriftway Supermarket Pahokee 2 Nov 14, 2025
The Fresh Market # 0055 Miami 2 Nov 3, 2025
Tasty Island Cuisine / Soul Food LLC Deland 2 Sep 17, 2025
La Placita Grocery Fort Pierce 2 Mar 11, 2025
Speedway # 6528 Inverness 2 Mar 22, 2023
Ocean Breeze Fish Market Tampa 2 Jan 19, 2023
7-eleven Store #32706b Clermont 1 Apr 1, 2026

Recent Inspector Observations

H & N Fuels LLC, Orlando—

Retail: Tongs placed out two days prior for pickled eggs and pickled sausage have not been washed, rinsed, and sanitized. Tongs were brought back to warewash sink to be washed, rinsed, and sanitized. See comments.

Xpress Food Mart, Fort Pierce—

Retail - food debris throughout the interior glass plate of counter microwave adjacent to soda fountain station.

Shree Hanumanji INC, High Springs—

Deli Area - Microwave has not been cleaned at the required interval. COS - Microwave cavity was cleaned and sanitized during the inspection.

Deland Shop and Smile LLC, Deland—

Retail: Old food residue inside of microwave used by kitchen and customers. Employee states microwave is cleaned once a week.

Quick King # 0026, Bunnell—

Kitchen: Microwave has debris build up and rust like substance on interior portion of microwave. COS: Microwave voluntarily discarded by management.

Hera and Fares Express INC, Winter Haven—

Retail Area- Microwave near reach in coolers observed with a build-up of food debris. COSMicrowave was cleaned and sanitized during inspection.

Frequently Cited Alongside 4-602.12

6-501.11

Physical facilities not maintained in good repair

330 co-citations

2-501.11

Establishment does not have written procedures for employees to follow when

192 co-citations

5-501.11

Receptacles and waste handling units for refuse, recyclables, and returnables not

159 co-citations

6-501.12

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

153 co-citations

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

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

140 co-citations

5-205.11

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

136 co-citations

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FDACS citation code 4-602.12?
FDACS citation 4-602.12 (Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24) is a General violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code. Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24 hours, or cavity or door seals of microwave oven not cleaned at least every 24 hours by using the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedure.
How serious is FDACS violation 4-602.12 (Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24)?
General (General): General food safety requirement. This code has been cited 362 times across 353 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 4-602.12?
FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 4-602.12 (Food-contact surface of cooking or baking equipment not cleaned at least every 24) has been cited at 353 such facilities across Florida, with 41 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.

Stories You May Have Missed

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