PONTE VEDRA, FL. Inspectors visiting Primo Pizza at 10870 US Hwy 1 on June 18, 2026 found that the restaurant was serving food from unapproved or unknown sources, a violation that means ingredients may have bypassed every federal safety checkpoint designed to catch Listeria, Salmonella, and other pathogens before they reach a customer's plate.
That was one of seven high-severity violations documented that day. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The unapproved food sourcing violation stood alongside a finding that parasite destruction procedures were not being followed. For fish, pork, and wild game, proper freezing or thorough cooking is required to kill parasites including Anisakis and Trichinella. At Primo Pizza, those procedures were not in place.
Inspectors also cited inadequate shell stock identification records. Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, are among the highest-risk foods in any kitchen because they are often consumed raw or only lightly cooked. Without proper tagging and traceability records, there is no way to trace an illness back to a specific harvest lot if customers get sick.
The restaurant had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods. That notice is not a formality. It is the last line of warning for pregnant women, elderly diners, young children, and anyone with a compromised immune system who may not realize they are eating something that could carry live pathogens.
Toxic chemicals were found improperly stored or labeled. Chemicals kept near food, or placed in unlabeled containers, can contaminate ingredients directly or cause acute poisoning if mistaken for a food product.
The two remaining high-severity violations involved the fundamentals of food service. There was no written employee health policy, meaning there was no documented protocol for keeping sick workers out of food preparation. And inspectors flagged improper hand and arm washing technique, a finding that matters because a handwashing attempt that uses wrong technique leaves pathogens on hands regardless of whether soap and water were used.
Two intermediate violations rounded out the inspection: multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and inadequate ventilation and lighting.
What These Violations Mean
Food from unapproved sources is not a paperwork problem. USDA and FDA inspections exist specifically to intercept contaminated product before it moves through the supply chain. When a restaurant bypasses that system, there is no audit trail, no recall mechanism, and no way to identify where ingredients came from if a customer becomes ill. At Primo Pizza, that violation combined with the missing shell stock records means two separate food categories, general ingredients and shellfish, lacked the traceability that makes illness investigation possible.
The parasite destruction failure carries its own direct risk. Anisakis, a parasitic roundworm found in raw or undercooked fish, causes severe gastrointestinal pain and can require surgical removal in serious cases. Trichinella, found in undercooked pork, causes fever, muscle pain, and in rare cases death. The required procedures, specific freezing temperatures held for specific durations or verified cooking temperatures, exist because these parasites are not visible to the naked eye and survive casual cooking.
The missing employee health policy and the improper handwashing technique are a compounding problem. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, spreads primarily through infected food workers who either do not know they should stay home or who fail to eliminate the virus from their hands before handling food. Neither safeguard was documented as functioning at Primo Pizza on June 18.
Improperly stored toxic chemicals near food preparation areas represent a different category of risk entirely. Mislabeled containers or chemicals stored adjacent to food ingredients can cause acute poisoning events that have nothing to do with bacteria or parasites.
The Longer Record
The June 2026 inspection was not an isolated bad day. State records show 17 inspections on file for Primo Pizza, with 94 total violations documented across that history.
The pattern of high-severity violations stretches back years. In August 2023, inspectors cited eight high-severity violations in a single visit, the highest single-inspection count in the facility's recorded history before this month. That visit was followed by inspections in January 2024, May 2024, February 2025, May 2025, and December 2025, each of which produced at least two high-severity violations.
The June 2026 inspection, with seven high-severity findings, is the second-worst single visit on record and the worst in nearly three years. The restaurant has never been emergency-closed.
Still Open
Despite 7 high-severity violations documented on a single inspection date, including food from an unknown source, missing parasite destruction procedures, and improperly stored chemicals, Primo Pizza remained open for business after the June 18 visit.
State inspectors documented 94 violations across 17 inspections at this address. The restaurant has never received an emergency closure order.