, FL. The ice chute on the second soda fountain from the left at a Florida Circle K had accumulated "heavy mineralization and dark colored residue" on its food-contact surface when a state inspector arrived on September 23, 2026, according to inspection records from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The inspector documented six violations at Circle K #1309, a convenience store with limited food service. Two of those violations were classified at the priority foundation level, meaning they relate to practices or equipment that, if left uncorrected, can lead to conditions that directly threaten food safety.
What Inspectors Found
The ice chute finding was the most visually striking in the report. The inspector noted "heavy mineralization and dark colored residue accumulation inside the food contact surface of the second ice chute from the left of the soda fountain." That chute was cleaned and sanitized before the inspection ended.
The hand-washing station in the ware washing area had no means of drying hands when the inspector arrived. Paper towels were provided on the spot.
In the processing area, a sleeve of single-use lids was stored directly under the drain line of the hand-washing sink. The lids were relocated during the inspection. Clean tongs in the ware washing area were hanging on the wall mount hanger of the hand nozzle of the ware washing sink, the inspector wrote, exposing them to possible splash contamination. Those were also relocated.
Old food debris was found along the bottom floor of the cabinetry holding baking and cookie sheets in the processing area. That violation was discussed with the person in charge but was not corrected on site.
The Repeat Violation
The most significant finding in terms of inspection history is the thermometer violation, which is marked as a repeat. In the retail area, no visible thermometer was located in the open air display cooler holding prepackaged sandwiches and assorted prepackaged cheeses. In the processing area, no visible thermometer was found in a two-door under-counter cooler.
The inspector measured the ambient air temperature in both units, recording 37 degrees Fahrenheit in the retail cooler and 34 degrees in the processing area cooler. Both readings fall within an acceptable range for cold holding. But the absence of a visible thermometer means employees cannot monitor temperatures between inspections without using a separate device.
The violation is flagged as a repeat, meaning inspectors documented the same problem during a prior visit and the store had not maintained the correction.
What These Violations Mean
The ice chute finding matters because ice is a food under food safety codes. Any surface that contacts ice and then dispenses it into a customer's cup is a direct food-contact surface. "Heavy mineralization and dark colored residue" inside that chute means every cup of ice dispensed from that position passed through contaminated equipment before the inspection. The fact that it was corrected on site is relevant, but the condition had to be documented before the correction was made.
The missing thermometer in a cooler holding prepackaged sandwiches and cheeses is a different kind of problem. Those products are ready-to-eat, meaning they go directly to the customer without any cooking step that might kill bacteria. Without a working, visible thermometer in the display case, store employees have no reliable way to confirm that the case is holding temperature during business hours. That is why the violation has a repeat designation: it has come up before, and it came up again.
The hand-drying violation at the ware washing station is a supporting concern. A hand-washing sink without drying supplies is a sink that employees are less likely to use properly, or at all.
The Longer Record
The data provided does not include a prior inspection count for Circle K #1309, so a full longitudinal comparison is not possible from this record alone. What the repeat designation on the thermometer violation does establish is that inspectors have flagged this specific problem at this location before the September 23 visit.
A repeat violation means the store corrected the problem at some point after the prior inspection, then allowed the same condition to return. Whether that reflects a staffing issue, a broken thermometer that was not replaced, or a monitoring gap is not something the inspection record addresses.
The September 23 inspection result is listed as "Met Sanitation Inspection Requirements," meaning the store passed overall. Four of the six violations were corrected on site. Two were not: the old food debris in the processing area cabinetry and the missing thermometers. Both remained unresolved when the inspector left.
