OCALA, FL. Back in March 2026, a state inspector walked into Pine Ave Citgo, a convenience store with limited food service on Ocala's Pine Avenue, and found the establishment selling food to customers without a valid annual food permit on file.
That was one of 15 violations documented during the March 23 inspection, conducted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. None of the violations were corrected on site before the inspection closed, and two had been cited before on a prior visit.
What Inspectors Found
The inspector noted that the food establishment could not provide a probe thermometer for taking cold and hot holding temperatures of perishable foods. At a store selling prepared or perishable items, that means there was no way for staff to verify whether food was being held at safe temperatures.
The person in charge could not answer questions about employee health policies, and the store could not provide employee health reporting responsibilities in a verifiable manner. The inspector also noted the food establishment could not provide a written procedure for responding to the cleanup of a vomiting and diarrheal event.
A microwave in the retail area had old food residue and buildup inside the cavity. That violation, classified as a priority foundation concern, was addressed during the inspection.
Unlabeled cookies were being offered for consumer self-service in a display case without the required labeling information, including the name and address of the manufacturer, a list of ingredients, and the common name of the product. The display case was reversed during the inspection to eliminate customer self-service access.
The front doors of the store had a visible gap exposing daylight between the latch point, leaving the building open to insects and rodents. Boxes of single-use cups and articles were stored directly on the floor in the back room. The back room also had excessive clutter limiting egress near soda syrup storage.
Old food debris, dirt, and soda syrup spillage were observed inside cabinetry below the food service counter along the eastern wall.
Repeat Violations
Two of the 15 violations had appeared in a prior inspection. The store was again cited for failing to post required proof-of-age signage for hemp extract products intended for human consumption, and for failing to post the same signage for kratom products sold for human consumption. Both signs were provided and posted before the inspection was completed.
The fact that both violations recurred indicates the signage had not been maintained between inspections.
What These Violations Mean
Operating without a valid food permit is not a paperwork technicality. Florida law requires food establishments to hold a current permit as a baseline condition of legal operation. Without it, there is no assurance that the facility has met the state's minimum standards for that operating period.
The absence of a probe thermometer is a direct gap in food safety practice. Without one, there is no mechanism for staff to check whether hot food is hot enough or cold food is cold enough to prevent bacterial growth. At a convenience store selling prepared or perishable items, that gap affects every customer who purchases food there.
The store's inability to provide verifiable employee health reporting records, or to have the person in charge answer basic questions about illness policies, points to a deeper training failure. Those policies exist specifically to prevent sick employees from transmitting illness to customers through food handling. When the person in charge cannot explain them, the policies are not functioning.
The lack of a written vomiting and diarrheal event cleanup procedure matters because norovirus and other pathogens spread rapidly through contaminated surfaces. A written plan is required precisely because a verbal understanding is not sufficient when an event actually occurs.
The Longer Record
The March 23 inspection was categorized as an "Operating Without a Valid Food Permit, Met Sanitation" inspection, meaning the store had submitted a permit application but had not yet secured valid authorization when inspectors arrived. The inspection type itself reflects a compliance gap that preceded the visit.
The two repeat violations for hemp and kratom signage show that at least some of the problems documented in March were not new. The store had been cited for the same missing signage before and had not maintained compliance between inspections.
Of the 15 total violations, five were classified at the priority foundation level, meaning they relate to the knowledge and management systems that underpin all other food safety practices. A store that cannot provide a thermometer, cannot verify employee health policies, and cannot produce a cleanup plan is missing the infrastructure that makes individual corrections meaningful.
None of the violations were recorded as corrected on site at the time the inspection closed, with the exception of the microwave cleaning, the display case reversal, and the hemp and kratom signage postings noted within the report. The probe thermometer, the employee health records, the certified food manager certificate, and the vomiting event procedure remained unresolved when the inspector left.