, FL. Toxic chemicals were displayed on a shelf directly above ready-to-eat foods in the baby aisle at CVS Pharmacy #05439, state inspectors found during a September 3 visit that turned up 10 violations, including one priority-level finding.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspector documented the chemical storage problem across multiple locations inside the store. Antibacterial wipes were shelved above single-use items in aisle 7. In the backroom, batteries were stored inside a basket with ingestibles without separation, and also on a rolling rack positioned over ready-to-eat foods. Epsom salt was stored on the same rolling rack as ready-to-eat foods without any separation between them.
The inspector noted that proper separation was verified before leaving the store.
What Inspectors Found
The walk-in cooler had problems of its own. Open cases of prepackaged drinks were sitting directly on the floor when the inspector arrived, a violation of the requirement that food be stored at least six inches above the floor. Those cases were moved to a shelf during the inspection. The same cooler had black matter buildup on the sliding drink rack where prepackaged foods are displayed, and debris and black matter on the floors.
The backroom compounded the picture. Cork board shelves, which are unsealed and difficult to sanitize, were being used for food storage. The floors there also had a buildup of debris and dirt. A cracked and chipped cement floor in the backroom rounded out the physical facility violations.
The women's restroom had no covered trash receptacle. The store's 2026 food permit was not available during the inspection.
What These Violations Mean
The priority violation, toxic chemicals stored above ready-to-eat foods, is the most direct public health concern in this inspection. Household chemicals, even those sold as consumer products, can drip, leak, or be knocked onto food packaging below them. In a baby aisle, the products below are intended for infants. The risk is not theoretical: a leaking bottle of antibacterial wipes solution or a corroded battery stored with edible products creates a contamination pathway that has no easy fix once it happens.
The establishment also lacked written procedures for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea events. That may sound like a minor administrative gap, but in a retail food environment where the public moves through continuously, an uncontained biological spill near food displays or food storage areas is a direct cross-contamination risk. The inspector provided a guidance handout during the visit.
The absence of a certified food protection manager is a foundational gap. That certification exists to ensure someone on staff has formal training in food safety, temperature control, contamination prevention, and proper storage. Without it, the other violations documented here are less surprising.
Black matter buildup on surfaces that contact food packaging, specifically the sliding drink rack in the walk-in cooler, is not cosmetic. Mold and organic residue on surfaces where prepackaged goods are handled can transfer to packaging that customers then handle and bring home.
The Longer Record
The data provided for this inspection does not include a count of prior inspections on record for CVS Pharmacy #05439. The September 3 visit is classified as a routine sanitation inspection, and none of the 10 violations are marked as repeat findings, meaning inspectors had not flagged the same specific items in a prior documented visit.
That absence of repeat designations is worth reading carefully. It does not mean the store has a clean history. It means that, of the violations documented this time, none were carried over from a previous inspection report in the system. The priority violation involving chemical storage, the walk-in cooler conditions, and the missing food protection manager certification are all documented here for the first time under this inspection record.
What the data does show is that zero violations were corrected on site at the time of the inspector's notation, with the exception of the two items flagged as corrected during the visit: the drink cases moved off the floor and the chemical separation verified. The remaining eight violations, including the missing food permit, the unsealed cork board shelving, the cracked backroom floor, the black matter buildup, and the missing women's restroom trash receptacle, were unresolved when the inspector left.
What Remains Unresolved
The store met sanitation inspection requirements overall, meaning the inspector did not issue an emergency closure or stop-sale order. No products were pulled from shelves.
The certified food protection manager citation directed the store to FDACS.gov for guidance, but no corrective action was documented on site. The 2026 food permit was not available during the inspection and its status was not resolved in the record.
The unsealed cork board shelves in the backroom, used for food storage, remained in place when the inspector departed.
