DAYTONA BEACH, FL. When a state inspector walked into Anejo Cocina Mexicana on LPGA Boulevard on April 27, they found toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled near food, no demonstrated allergen awareness among staff, and no written employee health policy, all in a restaurant that remained open to the public after the inspection concluded.

The April 27 visit produced nine high-severity violations and two intermediate ones. State records show this was not an aberration.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHToxic chemicals improperly stored or labeledHigh severity
2HIGHToxic substances improperly identified/stored/usedHigh severity
3HIGHNo allergen awareness demonstratedHigh severity
4HIGHEmployee not reporting symptoms of illnessHigh severity
5HIGHNo employee health policy or inadequate policyHigh severity
6HIGHFood contact surfaces not properly cleaned/sanitizedHigh severity
7HIGHInadequate handwashing facilitiesHigh severity
8HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foodsHigh severity
9HIGHPerson in charge not present or not performing dutiesHigh severity
10INTERMEDIATEMulti-use utensils not properly cleanedIntermediate
11INTERMEDIATEImproper use of wiping clothsIntermediate

The chemical violations are among the most acute risks in the inspection report. State records document both improper storage and labeling of toxic chemicals, and a separate citation for improper identification, storage, or use of toxic substances. Those are two distinct high-severity findings involving the same category of hazard, meaning the problem was serious enough that inspectors cited it twice under different regulatory codes.

The allergen finding is equally direct. State records show no allergen awareness was demonstrated by staff. Food allergies affect 32 million Americans and cause roughly 30,000 emergency room visits annually. A customer with a severe allergy to shellfish, tree nuts, or any of the other major allergens has no meaningful protection at a restaurant where staff cannot demonstrate basic awareness of those risks.

No person in charge was present or performing duties. No employee health policy existed. Employees were not reporting symptoms of illness. Those three violations arrived together, which matters: without a manager enforcing policy, and without a policy to enforce, there is no mechanism for a sick worker to be identified and removed from food preparation.

The Longer Record

Anejo Cocina Mexicana: Inspection Pattern, 2024-2026

Dec 5, 202411 high-severity violations, 3 intermediate. Highest single-day count on record.
Dec 6, 20249 high-severity violations, 1 intermediate. Follow-up visit still produced 9 high-severity findings.
May 1, 20257 high-severity violations, 3 intermediate.
May 2, 20252 high-severity violations, 1 intermediate. Short-term improvement after prior day's visit.
Oct 30, 20259 high-severity violations, 3 intermediate.
Oct 31, 20253 high-severity violations, 0 intermediate.
Jan 5, 20263 high-severity violations, 0 intermediate.
Jan 12, 20261 high-severity violation, 0 intermediate.
Apr 27, 20269 high-severity violations, 2 intermediate.

Across 26 inspections on record, Anejo Cocina Mexicana has accumulated 219 total violations. The pattern in the inspection history is consistent and specific: violations spike during routine inspections, drop partially during follow-up visits, then spike again at the next routine inspection.

December 2024 produced the worst single visit in the record, with 11 high-severity violations on December 5 followed by 9 more the next day. May 2025 followed the same shape: 7 high-severity violations on May 1, 2 on May 2. October 2025 brought 9 high-severity violations again, then 3 the following day. The early months of 2026 appeared to show improvement, with 3 high-severity violations in January dropping to 1 by mid-January. Then came April 27.

Nine high-severity violations. The same count as October 2025. The same count as December 2024's follow-up visit.

What These Violations Mean

The chemical storage violations are not bureaucratic paperwork failures. Toxic cleaning agents stored near or among food items, or in unlabeled containers, can contaminate food directly. The FDA and CDC both document cases of mass illness from exactly this scenario, where a chemical stored improperly near food service equipment caused acute poisoning in multiple customers before the source was identified. At Anejo Cocina Mexicana, inspectors found this problem severe enough to cite it under two separate regulatory categories.

The employee illness violations carry a different but equally serious risk. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads primarily through infected food workers who continue preparing food while symptomatic. Without a written health policy and without a manager enforcing it, there is no system in place to catch that scenario before food reaches a customer's table. The CDC identifies the absence of active managerial control as a factor in facilities with three times as many critical violations as those with it present.

Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces and multi-use utensils create a third vector. Bacterial biofilms can develop on surfaces within 24 hours of inadequate cleaning and are resistant to standard sanitizers once established. A cutting board, a prep surface, a utensil used across multiple dishes without proper sanitation becomes a transfer point for pathogens with each use.

The consumer advisory violation is specific to menu items containing raw or undercooked ingredients. Without that notice, a pregnant woman, an elderly customer, or someone with a compromised immune system has no way of knowing which dishes carry elevated risk.

Open for Business

State records show Anejo Cocina Mexicana has never been emergency-closed in its inspection history, despite accumulating nine high-severity violations on three separate inspection dates and eleven on a fourth.

After the April 27 inspection, the restaurant remained open.