TAMPA, FL. Back in February 2026, a state inspector walked into Central Mobil, a convenience store in Tampa, and left with 25 stop sale orders, a citation for operating without a valid food permit, and documented evidence that the store had been selling kratom products that lacked basic labeling required by state emergency rule.
The inspection, conducted February 17 by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, turned up nine total violations, including one priority violation and two that were repeats from prior inspections.
What Inspectors Found
The kratom violations were the most extensive. According to the inspector's notes, "various kratom products do not declare the concentration of 7-hydroxymitragynine in PPM on a dry-weight basis" as required under Florida's emergency rule 5KER25-6. A separate violation documented that "various kratom products in tablet form lack a supplement facts panel on product packaging."
Both sets of kratom products were voluntarily discarded, and stop sale orders were issued for each.
The hemp extract finding was a repeat. The inspector noted that a "hemp extract product held beyond expiration date" was found in the retail area. That product was also voluntarily discarded, and a stop sale and release order was issued.
The store was also operating without a valid 2026 food permit, a repeat violation, meaning this was not the first time inspectors had cited the location for selling food without current authorization.
One priority violation involved the storage of toxic materials. The inspector found "various chemicals (rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Raid, etc.) stored on shelving above waters and sodas in the retail aisle." That was corrected on site, with beverages moved to proper storage.
The store also had no written procedures for responding to a vomiting or diarrheal event, and no certified food protection manager on record.
25 Stop Sale Orders
The sheer number of stop sale orders issued during this single inspection stands out. Inspectors issued 25 separate stop sale and release orders, all citing Florida Statute 500.04 and 500.11 for misbranded products, with one additional order citing a broader violation of Florida Food Law covering distribution, retail sale, and advertising.
None of the stop sale orders in the data identified specific brand names or lot numbers, which limits traceability. The orders were issued as releases, meaning the products were pulled from sale at the store rather than being recalled from distribution.
Zero violations were corrected on site in the formal sense. The voluntary discards and beverage restacking happened during the inspection, but the underlying problems, including the lapsed permit and the absence of a certified food protection manager, were not resolved before the inspector left.
What These Violations Mean
Kratom is a botanical product derived from a Southeast Asian plant, and its active compound, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is the primary driver of its effects on the body. Florida's emergency rule requires that kratom products sold to consumers declare the concentration of that compound in parts per million on a dry-weight basis. Without that number on the label, a customer has no way to know the potency of what they are buying. The tablet products at Central Mobil went further, lacking even a supplement facts panel, the most basic form of ingredient disclosure required for any consumable sold in this category.
Expired hemp extract is a labeling and safety issue that compounds the traceability problem. When a product is past its expiration date, the manufacturer's quality controls no longer apply. If a customer becomes ill after consuming an expired product, the expired date is the clearest evidence of a breakdown in the retail chain. The fact that this was a repeat violation means the store had been cited for the same problem before and the expired product was still on the shelf.
The chemicals stored above beverages represent a direct contamination risk. Rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and Raid are toxic if ingested. Storing them on shelving above open-shelf drinks creates the possibility of a spill contaminating products that customers will consume without any visible indication that something is wrong. The priority classification reflects how seriously state rules treat that scenario.
Operating without a valid food permit is not a paperwork technicality. A permit is what gives the state the legal authority to inspect and, if necessary, shut down a food retail operation. A store selling consumable products without one is operating outside the regulatory framework designed to protect buyers.
The Longer Record
Two of the nine violations documented in February were repeats, meaning inspectors had cited Central Mobil for the same problems on at least one prior visit. The operating-without-a-valid-permit citation was a repeat, as was the expired hemp extract finding. That combination suggests the store was aware of both issues and had not resolved either before inspectors returned.
The inspection type itself, listed as "Operating Without a Valid Food Permit, Met Sanitation Inspection," indicates the visit was triggered at least in part by the permit lapse. That the store met basic sanitation standards during the visit does not mean the underlying violations were minor. The 25 stop sale orders and the two repeat citations tell a different story.
No corrective actions were documented as completed on site for the permit violation or the food protection manager requirement. Both remained unresolved when the inspector closed out the report.