WILLISTON, FL. Back in January 2026, a state inspector walked through Noble Ave Food Mart on Noble Avenue and left with an 11-violation report, including a finding that the convenience store could not produce a probe thermometer to check the temperature of the perishable food it was selling.
The store met sanitation inspection requirements overall, meaning it was not ordered closed. But the list of what inspectors could not locate, and what they found broken or ignored, told a more complicated story.
What Inspectors Found
Three of the violations were classified as priority foundation, a tier that signals gaps in the basic tools and procedures a food retailer is expected to have in place at all times. The inspector noted the store could not provide a probe thermometer for taking cold and hot holding temperatures of perishable foods. It also could not produce sanitizer test strips during the inspection. And it had no written procedure for responding to the cleanup of a vomiting and diarrheal event.
None of those three violations were corrected on site.
Two violations were repeats, meaning state inspectors had cited the same store for the same problems before. The inspector noted dust buildup on overhead refrigeration units in the walk-in cooler, the same type of cleanliness failure documented in a prior visit. The store also again lacked the required proof-of-age signage for hemp extract products. That sign was posted before the inspector left, but it was the second time the store had been cited for its absence.
The retail area had broken and damaged floor tiles. The dumpster outside sat directly on grass rather than on a solid surface. The single restroom lacked both a covered wastebasket and hand-washing signage. The store had no certified food protection manager on record.
Kratom proof-of-age signage was also missing from the retail area. Like the hemp extract sign, it was provided and posted before the inspection concluded.
What These Violations Mean
The missing probe thermometer is the kind of gap that compounds quietly. A convenience store selling perishable food, whether that is a deli item, a bottled drink, or a packaged meal, is supposed to be able to verify that food is being held at safe temperatures. Without a thermometer, there is no way to confirm whether cold food is cold enough or hot food is hot enough. Bacterial growth in food held at unsafe temperatures does not announce itself. Customers have no way to know.
Sanitizer test strips serve a parallel function. They let staff verify that the sanitizing solution being used on food-contact surfaces is actually concentrated enough to kill pathogens. Using a solution that is too weak provides the appearance of sanitation without the reality of it. The inspector found the store had no strips available to check.
The absence of a written vomiting and diarrheal event cleanup procedure sounds like a paperwork problem. It is not. Norovirus and similar pathogens spread rapidly from contaminated surfaces, and a documented response procedure exists to ensure staff know exactly how to contain and disinfect an area without spreading contamination further. A store without that procedure is relying on improvisation in the moments when a structured response matters most.
The repeat citation for dust buildup on walk-in cooler refrigeration units points to a different kind of concern. Refrigeration units that are not kept clean can develop mold, harbor pests, and operate less efficiently, which affects the temperature of the food stored inside. The inspector noted this problem, discussed it with the owner, and moved on. It had been noted before.
The Longer Record
Noble Ave Food Mart has two inspections on record with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The first, a preoperational inspection conducted on October 31, 2024, found six violations before the store opened. The January 2026 inspection found 11.
That trajectory matters. A preoperational inspection is meant to catch problems before a facility begins serving customers. Six violations at that stage suggested some baseline gaps. Eleven violations more than a year later, including two that repeated findings from that first inspection, suggests those gaps did not fully close.
The repeat citations are the clearest evidence of a pattern. Dust on the walk-in cooler refrigeration units was documented at the October 2024 inspection and again in January 2026. The hemp extract signage was missing at the October 2024 inspection and again in January 2026. Both were conditions the owner had been told to correct.
What Remained Unresolved
Of the 11 violations cited in January 2026, none were corrected on site in the categories that mattered most. The two signs, for hemp extract and kratom, were posted before the inspector left. Everything else, the missing thermometer, the missing sanitizer test strips, the absent vomiting cleanup procedure, the dust on the refrigeration units, the broken floor tiles, the uncovered wastebasket, the dumpster on grass, the missing hand-washing signs, the lack of a certified food protection manager, remained unresolved at the time the inspection closed.
The store met the threshold to stay open. The thermometer was still missing.