CLERMONT, FL. A food worker at I Love NY Pizza on Cagan Park Avenue was observed using improper handwashing technique during a September 2 inspection, a violation that state records classify as a technique failure, meaning pathogens can remain on hands even when a worker believes they have washed them. That was one of eight high-severity violations inspectors documented that day. The restaurant was not closed.
The inspection, conducted at the Clermont location at 532 Cagan Park Ave., also found that food was not cooked to the required minimum temperature, that toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled near food, and that the restaurant had no demonstrable allergen awareness among staff. Inspectors also cited five intermediate violations, including improper sewage or wastewater disposal and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
What Inspectors Found
The undercooked food citation stands out. State health records note that pathogens like Salmonella in poultry survive below 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and undercooking is a leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks. There is no notation in the inspection record of which specific item was undercooked.
Inspectors also found that toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled, a violation that creates acute poisoning risk if a chemical contaminates food or is mistaken for a food-safe product. That citation appeared alongside the food contact surfaces violation, meaning surfaces that touch the food customers eat were not properly cleaned or sanitized.
The sewage and wastewater disposal violation, classified as intermediate, is not a minor paperwork issue. State records describe the risk as fecal contamination throughout the facility. It appeared alongside a citation for improperly reused single-use items and improperly used wiping cloths, violations that inspectors note are among the most common contamination vehicles in food service.
What These Violations Mean
The combination of no employee health policy and an employee observed not reporting illness symptoms is, according to state health data, the most direct path to a multi-victim outbreak. Food workers who continue working while sick are the leading cause of Norovirus outbreaks, which can spread to dozens of customers before a single illness is reported. Without a written health policy, there is no documented standard requiring workers to disclose symptoms in the first place.
The allergen awareness citation carries a separate and immediate danger. Food allergies affect 32 million Americans, and reactions send roughly 30,000 people to emergency rooms each year. A staff that cannot demonstrate allergen awareness cannot reliably warn a customer with a tree nut or shellfish allergy that an ingredient is present. At a pizza restaurant, where toppings and cross-contact between preparation surfaces are constant, that gap is not theoretical.
The consumer advisory violation compounds the allergen problem. Without a posted advisory for raw or undercooked foods, customers who are elderly, pregnant, immunocompromised, or very young have no notice that a menu item may not be fully cooked. Those are precisely the populations most likely to suffer severe or fatal outcomes from a foodborne pathogen.
Improperly cleaned multi-use utensils develop bacterial biofilms within 24 hours, according to state health records. Those biofilms protect bacteria from standard cleaning agents, meaning a surface that looks clean can still harbor active pathogens.
The Longer Record
The September 2 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show 37 total inspections at this location, with 479 total violations documented across that history. The facility has never been emergency-closed.
The pattern of high-severity violations is consistent and recent. On April 28, 2026, inspectors cited 10 high-severity and 6 intermediate violations. On December 22, 2025, the tally was 8 high-severity and 2 intermediate, matching the September count exactly. On June 13, 2025, inspectors recorded 13 high-severity violations in a single visit, the worst single-inspection count in the recent record.
The May 2026 inspections, conducted on consecutive days, May 7 and May 8, showed reduced counts of 3 high and 2 high-severity violations respectively. That brief improvement did not hold. Four months later, the restaurant was back to 8 high-severity citations.
The violations are not rotating through different categories. Employee health policy failures, handwashing problems, and food safety fundamentals appear repeatedly across multiple inspection cycles. A facility cycling through the same high-severity categories across 37 inspections and nearly 500 total violations is not making incremental errors.
Still Open
State inspectors documented eight high-severity violations at I Love NY Pizza on September 2, 2026. They included undercooked food, improperly stored toxic chemicals, no allergen awareness, unsanitized food contact surfaces, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms. Inspectors also found improper sewage disposal.
The restaurant was not closed.
