FDACS Citation 4-603.14: Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or

Overview

FDACS citation 4-603.14 (Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or) is a General violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code, with 2 citations in the past 12 months across 8 Florida facilities. General food safety requirement.

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

GeneralPriority Level
Ch. 4Equipment, Utensils, and Linens
2Citations (12 mo)
8Total Citations
8Facilities Cited

Citation 4-603.14 — Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or — is classified as a general violation under Florida FDACS inspection standards in the Equipment, Utensils, and Linens chapter.

What the Code Says

4-603.14 — Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or

Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or
completely loosen soils by using the manual or mechanical means necessary; or the washing procedure
selected is not based on the type and purpose of the equipment or utensil, and on the type of soil to be
removed.

— 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 4-603.14 citations
CountyCitations
Bay2
Miami-Dade1
Hernando1
Broward1

Most Cited Facilities

Florida FDACS facilities most cited for 4-603.14
FacilityCityTimes CitedLast Cited
Walmart #5265 Cloud 1 May 19, 2025
Amazing Pinchos Spring Hill 1 Jan 14, 2025
Monkey Joe's Coral Springs 1 Aug 20, 2024
Grocery Outlet 7716 Lynn Haven 1 Jan 20, 2023
Subway # 35784 Lynn Haven 1 Jan 18, 2023
El Palmar Supermarket Hialeah 1 Sep 9, 2022

Recent Inspector Observations

Walmart #5265, Cloud—

Deli: Slicer parts were stored directly into sanitizer solution without washing, rinsing before sanitizing. COS: Employee re washed, rinsed and sanitized slicer parts.

Amazing Pinchos, Spring Hill—

Meat cutting area: observed employee wash a ready pan in the hand washing sink. COS: Employee was coached and the pan was taken to the 3 compartment sink to be washed, rinsed and sanitized

Monkey Joe's, Coral Springs—

Food service: Employee rinsed off spatula with out cleaning and sanitizing it, prepared to use it for service. COS: Item was moved to the sink for proper wash, rinse and sanitizing.

Grocery Outlet 7716, Lynn Haven—

Meat department: Observed the rinse compartments of the ware wash sink being use as the wash compartment. o Print Date: 1/20/2023 Page 3 of 5 53 Citation Description: Maintenance tools such as brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners, and similar items not stored so they do not contaminate food, equipment, utensils, linens, or single-service and single-use articles; or not stored in an orderly manner that facilitates cleaning the area used for storing the maintenance tools. 6-501.113 Observation: Produce department: Broom and dust pan observed in front of the ware wash sink. COS both items were removed from this area and relocated. x

Subway # 35784, Lynn Haven—

Deli department: observed the rinsing compartment of the ware wash sink being use as the washing compartment of the ware wash sink. o

El Palmar Supermarket, Hialeah—

Meat /deli area observed 3 compartment sink with soil build up. Cos 3 compartment sink was wash ,rinsed and sanitized during the inspection. o

Frequently Cited Alongside 4-603.14

6-501.11

Physical facilities not maintained in good repair

8 co-citations

2-301.14

Food employee not cleaning hands or exposed portions of arms immediately before

6 co-citations

6-501.12

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

4 co-citations

4-501.11

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

4 co-citations

3-302.11(A)(1)

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

4 co-citations

4-601.11(B)

Food-contact surface of cooking equipment or pan is encrusted with grease deposits

3 co-citations

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FDACS citation code 4-603.14?
FDACS citation 4-603.14 (Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or) is a General violation under Chapter 4 (Equipment, Utensils, and Linens) of the FDA Food Code. Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or completely loosen soils by using the manual or mechanical means necessary; or the washing procedure selected is not based on the type and purpose of the equipment or utensil, and on the type of soil to be removed.
How serious is FDACS violation 4-603.14 (Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or)?
General (General): General food safety requirement. This code has been cited 8 times across 8 Florida FDACS-regulated facilities.
Which types of Florida food businesses receive citation 4-603.14?
FDACS inspects grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, food manufacturers, mobile vendors, and vending machines. Citation 4-603.14 (Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils not effectively washed to remove or) has been cited at 8 such facilities across Florida, with 2 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.