, FL. A state inspector walked into Murphy USA #7720 in September and found no manager on duty, no probe thermometer, and a cleaning spray sitting directly on the coffee station, available to customers reaching for their morning cup.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspection, conducted September 3, 2026, documented nine violations at the convenience store, including one priority violation and five priority-foundation violations. None were corrected before the inspector left.
What Inspectors Found
The priority violation, the most serious category in the state's ranking system, involved a cleaner spray displayed on the coffee station without proper separation from food service items. The inspector's notes read: "Retail: Cleaner spray displayed on the coffee station without proper separation." The spray was moved to a designated area during the visit.
The kratom finding was documented separately. According to the inspection record, the store "was found to be carrying food products containing Kratom extract while not being designated as a Hemp/Kratom Food Establishment." The inspector noted the establishment must remit payment of the appropriate fee within 10 days and directed staff to contact the state's Business Center for further assistance.
The handwashing sink in the retail area was blocked. The inspector noted "beverages and coffee server stored at hand wash sink" and documented that the non-handwashing items were removed during the visit.
No probe thermometer was available anywhere in the store during the inspection.
No Manager, No Training, No Plan
The inspection turned up a cluster of failures that point to a management gap rather than isolated oversights.
No person in charge was present during the visit. That finding was documented as a priority-foundation violation, meaning it reflects a structural deficiency in how the store operates rather than a one-time lapse.
The employee who was present could not answer basic questions about foodborne illness. The inspector wrote: "Employee was not able to answer questions related to foodborne illnesses and symptoms." An employee health guide was provided during the visit.
Staff also could not demonstrate awareness of their responsibility to report illness diagnoses or symptoms. A reporting agreement was provided on the spot. The store had no written procedures for handling vomiting or diarrhea events, a separate violation. No certified food protection manager certification was available during the visit.
What These Violations Mean
The combination of no manager, no illness reporting procedures, and an employee who could not answer basic foodborne illness questions describes a store where the safety infrastructure is largely absent. When no person in charge is present, there is no one to catch problems before an inspector does, and no one to enforce the basic protocols that prevent contamination.
The kratom violation carries a different kind of risk. Florida requires food establishments selling hemp or kratom products to register specifically for that purpose. The designation exists so the state can track which stores carry these products and ensure they meet labeling and sourcing requirements. A store selling kratom without that designation is operating outside the regulatory framework designed to catch problems in that supply chain.
The cleaning spray on the coffee station was the inspection's single priority violation, the tier reserved for findings with a direct link to foodborne illness or injury. A toxic cleaner stored at a coffee preparation area, accessible to staff handling food and beverages, creates a straightforward contamination risk. The fact that it was corrected on site does not change that it was there in the first place.
The blocked handwashing sink matters because handwashing is the first line of defense against cross-contamination. When beverages and coffee equipment occupy the sink, employees cannot wash their hands without first clearing the area, and in a busy convenience store, that step gets skipped.
The Longer Record
The inspection data does not include a prior inspection count for Murphy USA #7720, so a pattern comparison across multiple visits is not possible from the available record. What the September 3 inspection does show is a store that arrived at this visit without several foundational requirements already in place: no certified food manager on file, no written illness response plan, no thermometer, and no manager on duty.
Those are not violations that develop overnight. A store without a certified food protection manager and without written procedures for illness events has been operating without those safeguards for some period before the inspector arrived.
The inspection closed with a finding of "Met Sanitation Inspection Requirements," meaning the store was not ordered closed. Several violations were addressed during the visit, including the cleaning spray relocation, the blocked handwashing sink, and the distribution of illness reporting documents. The kratom designation issue, the missing certified food protection manager, and the absent probe thermometer were not resolved on site.
