MIAMI, FL. Back in January 2026, a state inspector walked into the meat area of Bay Supermarket on a routine visit and found a can of Raid Ant and Roach Killer, labeled "for indoor household use," sitting on a shelf directly above the three-compartment sink where food-contact equipment gets washed.
The chemical was voluntarily discarded during the inspection. But it was one of 20 violations documented that day, including hot food served to customers at temperatures well below the safety threshold and a direct plumbing connection between the meat area sink drain and the sewage system.
What Inspectors Found
In the food service area, the inspector measured ham croquettes, beef empanadas, ham empanadas, and cheese empanadas sitting inside a hot holding unit at temperatures ranging from 112 to 124 degrees Fahrenheit. State food safety rules require hot held food to stay at or above 135 degrees. The items were reheated during the inspection.
A food employee in the same area was observed handling money and then preparing food without washing hands in between. Hands were washed after the inspector intervened.
The plumbing violation in the meat area was among the most structurally serious. The inspector documented a direct connection between the three-compartment sink drain and the sewage system, a configuration that creates a pathway for sewage contamination to back up into the sink used for washing equipment and utensils.
The inspector also found two handwashing sinks that were not being used for handwashing. In the food service area, a sink was being used to rinse a cloth. In the meat area, a spray bottle had been placed inside the hand sink basin.
Additional findings included flying insects observed in the produce section around the yellow plantain area, cases of ham stored directly on the floor of the walk-in beverage cooler, and openings in the ceiling of both the backroom and the meat area. Unsealed wood was being used as shelving inside the meat walk-in freezer and near the beverage entrance, and soda crates had been pressed into service as shelves inside the meat walk-in cooler.
The person in charge was unable to answer questions related to foodborne illnesses and symptoms. An employee health guide was provided during the inspection.
What These Violations Mean
The Raid finding is the kind of violation that can cause direct harm regardless of whether a pest problem exists. Household pesticide products are not approved for use in food establishments because their application near food-contact surfaces, food, or equipment can result in chemical contamination. Storing a can above a three-compartment sink, where equipment and utensils are washed, placed it directly in the path of splash and cross-contact.
The temperature violations in the food service area matter because hot food held below 135 degrees sits in what food safety guidelines call the danger zone, the temperature range between 41 and 135 degrees where bacteria multiply rapidly. Ham croquettes and empanadas measured as low as 112 degrees had been sitting in that range long enough for a probe thermometer to confirm it. Customers buying prepared food at a grocery counter have no way to know the holding temperature of what they are purchasing.
The direct sewage connection at the meat area sink is a structural plumbing defect, not a procedural lapse. It cannot be corrected by reminding employees of a rule. It requires a physical fix, and the inspection record does not indicate it was resolved during the visit.
The absence of written vomit and diarrhea cleanup procedures, combined with a person in charge who could not answer basic foodborne illness questions, points to a gap in how food safety knowledge is maintained and communicated inside the store.
The Longer Record
The January 2026 inspection was not the first time Bay Supermarket had accumulated a significant violation count. In March 2023, a state inspection resulted in 25 violations and a re-inspection required outcome. A follow-up visit in April 2023 found 8 violations, an improvement but still a notable total.
Two focused inspections in August 2025 and June 2024 each returned zero violations. Focused inspections, however, are narrower in scope than full sanitation inspections and do not examine the full range of conditions a standard review covers.
The January 2026 inspection was a full sanitation review, and it produced 20 violations, including 3 priority violations and 4 priority foundation violations. None of the 20 violations were marked as repeats from prior inspections, though several of the conditions documented, including shelving problems, ceiling openings, and handwashing deficiencies, are consistent with the categories that drove the 2023 violation counts.
The store met sanitation inspection requirements in January 2026, meaning the inspector determined it could remain open. Of the violations that were corrected on site, the Raid can was discarded, food items were reheated, the spray bottle was moved from the hand sink, a drain plug was produced for the three-compartment sink, and sanitizer test strips were provided. The direct sewage connection at the meat area sink, the ceiling openings, the unsealed wood shelving, and the absence of written cleanup procedures were not resolved during the visit.