CENTER HILL, FL. Back in March 2026, a state inspector visiting Mi Guanajuato #2 on a routine sanitation check found shampoos stored directly above corn husks for tamales and candles stacked over single-use items intended for food and drinks.
The store, a convenience store with significant food service and packaged ice on the shelf at Center Hill in Sumter County, was inspected by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on March 30. Inspectors documented 10 violations, including one priority violation involving toxic retail merchandise stored in proximity to food-use products.
What Inspectors Found
The most serious finding involved the retail floor layout. The inspector noted candles stored above single-use items intended for use with food and drinks, and shampoos stored directly above corn husks for tamales. The person in charge moved the food-related products to a safe location before the inspector left.
In the tortilla preparation area at the back of the store, the handwashing sink had no soap and no hand-drying devices. The inspector noted this as a priority foundation violation. The person in charge supplied soap and paper towels on the spot.
A chocobanana in the retail ice cream freezer carried no ingredient label. The inspector flagged it for lacking the required list of ingredients for a packaged food product sold on site. The product was pulled from the retail freezer and moved behind the counter.
The inspector also found a wet mop left in a back hallway rather than hung to air-dry, a three-compartment sink in the ware-washing area not sealed against the wall, and plastic coffee stirrers displayed loose rather than individually wrapped. The restroom had no covered trash receptacle for sanitary items, and its door was not self-closing. A handwashing sign was absent from the tortilla prep area entirely, though the department provided one during the visit.
Water stains and ceiling damage were documented above the foods and coffee station in the retail area. That violation was not corrected on site.
What These Violations Mean
The priority violation involving toxic products stored near food ingredients is not a technicality. Shampoos and candles can contain chemicals, dyes, and fragrances that are harmful if they contaminate food surfaces or packaging. Corn husks used for tamales are a food-contact ingredient. If a shampoo bottle leaked or tipped, the contamination would be direct and difficult to detect.
The absence of soap and hand-drying devices at the tortilla prep sink compounds that concern. Tortillas are a ready-to-eat food, prepared by hand. A handwashing station without soap is functionally no handwashing station at all. This is why the violation is classified at the priority foundation level, meaning it is considered a building-block failure that makes other food safety measures unreliable.
The unlabeled chocobanana matters for a specific reason: without an ingredient list, a customer with a food allergy has no way to evaluate whether the product is safe to eat. Florida law requires packaged foods prepared on site to carry the common name of the food and a list of ingredients. The product was removed from sale, but it had been in the retail freezer available for purchase before the inspection.
The damaged ceiling above the coffee and food station is a structural concern. Water stains indicate a past or ongoing moisture source above a food display area. Moisture and damaged ceiling materials create conditions for mold growth and contamination of food or food-contact surfaces below.
The Longer Record
Mi Guanajuato #2: Inspection History
The two prior FDACS inspections on record at this location, in June 2024 and February 2022, were both focused inspections that turned up zero violations. March 2026 was a full sanitation inspection, a broader review than either prior visit.
That distinction matters. Focused inspections examine a narrower set of criteria. The 10 violations documented in March, including the priority finding and the priority foundation finding, emerged under the more comprehensive review. None of the violations from March were flagged as repeats of prior findings.
None of the violations involving the ceiling damage or the unsealed three-compartment sink were corrected during the inspection. The store met sanitation requirements overall and was not ordered closed, but the water-stained ceiling above the food and coffee station remained unresolved when the inspector departed.