, FL. Makeup remover and hand sanitizer were sitting on a shelf directly above chips and single-use items when a state inspector walked into Dollar General #14597 on September 4, 2026.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services cited the store on four violations during the visit, including one priority violation for the chemical storage issue. Inspectors also flagged a repeat violation, meaning at least one problem found this week had been documented at this location before.
What Inspectors Found
The inspector's notes on the chemical storage violation are direct: "Makeup remover and hand sanitizer, stored on shelf directly above chips and single use items." Staff moved the chemicals to an appropriate location during the inspection, so that violation was corrected on site. It was the only one of the four that was.
The repeat violation involved food storage. The inspector noted that "multiple beverage cases were stored directly on the retail floor" in the retail area. State food safety rules require food and beverages to be stored at least six inches above the floor, kept in a clean, dry location. This is not the first time an inspector has written up this store for the same problem.
The store also lacks a certified food protection manager on the premises, with the inspector noting the certificate was not available at the time of the visit. And the store has no written policy for responding to vomiting or diarrheal events on the premises. The inspector provided guidance by email during the visit, but no corrective action was taken at the location itself.
What These Violations Mean
The chemical storage finding is the most immediately alarming for anyone who shops at this store. Household chemicals including hand sanitizer and makeup remover contain compounds that can contaminate open food packaging or products with damaged seals if they spill or leak. When those chemicals sit directly above food items on a retail shelf, the risk is not theoretical. A single spill could reach chips or single-use items below without any visible sign of contamination for a customer picking up a bag.
The absence of a written vomit and diarrheal event procedure is a less visible but serious gap. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness, spreads rapidly through contaminated surfaces. Without a documented cleanup protocol, employees have no standard guidance on how to contain and disinfect the area, what protective equipment to use, or how to prevent cross-contamination to food products nearby. The inspector sent written guidance by email, but that guidance had not been implemented in any formal policy at the time of the visit.
The floor storage violation, while less acute, creates conditions for contamination from moisture, pests, and cleaning chemicals used on retail floors. Beverages stored directly on the floor sit in the path of mop water, tracked-in debris, and any pest activity at floor level. The fact that this is a repeat citation means the store was already told to fix it and had not done so by the time of this inspection.
The Longer Record
The data available for this inspection does not include a prior inspection count for Dollar General #14597, so a full numerical history cannot be drawn. What the record does show is that at least one violation found on September 4 had been cited before. Repeat violations in a state inspection record carry a specific meaning: an inspector returned, looked for the same problem, and found it still unaddressed.
For a retail grocery outlet that sells perishables, that pattern matters. The floor storage issue is not a complex operational fix. It requires moving product off the floor. That it appeared again in this inspection indicates the correction either was not made or did not hold between visits.
Three of the four violations cited on September 4 remained unresolved when the inspector left the building.
What Remained Unresolved
The store passed its inspection overall, meeting sanitation requirements as FDACS defines them for this inspection type. But passing does not mean all violations were corrected.
The beverage cases on the floor, the missing certified food protection manager certificate, and the absence of any written vomit and diarrheal event policy were all still unaddressed when the inspector closed out the visit. The chemical storage issue was the one finding staff fixed on the spot.
The repeat floor storage violation had been flagged before this visit. As of September 4, it had not been fixed.
