OCALA, FL. An employee at Catrina Cocina Mexicana on SE 17th Street was not reporting symptoms of illness to management, according to a state inspection conducted August 5, a violation that inspectors classify as among the most dangerous a food service facility can accumulate. The restaurant collected nine high-severity violations that day. It was not closed.
The inspection, conducted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, also found that parasite destruction procedures were not being followed, that toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled, and that food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized. Four intermediate violations accompanied the nine high-priority citations.
What Inspectors Found
The illness reporting violation sits at the top of the list for a reason. A sick food handler who continues working without notifying management can expose every customer served that shift, and norovirus in particular spreads through a kitchen with very little contact required.
The parasite destruction citation is equally direct. Fish and pork served without proper freezing or cooking protocols can carry live parasites, including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork, that survive into a customer's meal. The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted to warn diners who might be ordering raw or undercooked items, meaning customers had no notice that a risk existed.
Two separate chemical violations were cited. Improperly stored or unlabeled toxic chemicals near food preparation areas create a contamination pathway that can cause acute poisoning. The second citation, for toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, compounds that risk.
Inspectors also noted that sewage or wastewater was not being properly disposed of, that the facility's cooling equipment was inadequate to maintain required temperatures, that single-use items were being reused, and that toilet facilities were inadequate or improperly maintained.
What These Violations Mean
The illness reporting failure is what food safety officials call an outbreak enabler. When a food worker experiences symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice and does not report them to a supervisor, they remain on the line handling food. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness outbreaks, can be transmitted from a single ill worker to dozens of customers in a single service period.
The parasite destruction violation is a separate and specific risk. State and federal rules require that fish served raw or undercooked be frozen to a specific temperature for a specific duration to kill parasites before it reaches a plate. When that protocol is skipped, the risk falls entirely on the customer. At Catrina Cocina Mexicana, the absence of a consumer advisory meant diners ordering anything raw or undercooked had no written notice that the kitchen was not following parasite destruction procedures.
Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, cutting boards, prep tables, and utensils carry bacteria from one food item to the next. Combined with misuse of time as a public health control, where food is allowed to sit at unsafe temperatures beyond permitted windows, the conditions inspectors documented on August 5 represent several simultaneous pathways to foodborne illness.
The two chemical violations are not minor administrative citations. Unlabeled or mislabeled chemicals stored near food, or used improperly in a kitchen, have caused acute poisoning incidents in food service settings. The inadequate cooling equipment citation adds another layer: a facility that cannot mechanically hold food at safe temperatures is structurally unable to comply with basic food safety requirements, regardless of staff behavior.
The Longer Record
The August 5 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show Catrina Cocina Mexicana has been inspected 11 times and has accumulated 121 total violations across those visits.
Catrina Cocina Mexicana: Inspection Pattern
The facility was emergency-closed once, on February 17, 2026, after inspectors documented roach activity. It reopened the following day after meeting state standards. But the inspections on either side of that closure tell a different story than a one-time lapse.
In August 2025, inspectors cited 10 high-severity violations. In December 2025, another 10 high-severity violations. In February 2026, before the closure, 9 high-severity violations. In April 2026, 8 high-severity violations with 6 intermediate. The pattern across five separate inspections spanning a full year shows a facility cycling between high violation counts and clean follow-up visits, then returning to high violation counts.
The August 5, 2026 inspection produced 9 high-severity violations, matching the count from the February visit that triggered an emergency closure. This time, the restaurant stayed open.
