MIAMI, FL. Inspectors walked into Salumeria 104 on NE 1st Avenue on September 9, 2026, and found shellfish on the premises with no identification records, no way to trace where the product came from or who harvested it. That violation alone can make a foodborne illness outbreak impossible to contain. It was one of nine high-severity citations issued that day.
The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The state's inspection report also cited food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized, a standing cross-contamination risk that applies to every plate, board, and prep surface a customer's food touches. Inspectors found that food was not being cooked to the required minimum internal temperature, meaning pathogens present in raw ingredients could survive into the finished dish.
Toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled on the premises. Staff demonstrated no allergen awareness, a citation that covers the full range of protocols meant to protect customers with food allergies from accidental exposure.
The inspector also cited improper handwashing technique, meaning employees were going through the motions without eliminating the pathogens on their hands. And no person in charge was present or performing supervisory duties at the time of inspection.
Six intermediate violations accompanied the nine high-severity citations. Those included improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, inadequate ventilation and lighting, improper use of wiping cloths, inadequate toilet facilities, and equipment in poor repair.
What These Violations Mean
The shellfish traceability citation is among the most consequential on the list. Oysters, clams, and mussels are high-risk foods, often served raw or lightly cooked at a restaurant like Salumeria 104. When shellfish arrive without proper identification tags showing their harvest source, there is no way to trace an illness back to a specific bed, harvester, or dealer if customers get sick. A norovirus or Vibrio outbreak linked to unidentified shellfish can take weeks to trace, during which time the source remains in service.
The cooking temperature violation compounds that risk. Undercooking is one of the most direct routes for pathogens to reach a customer's plate intact. Salmonella in poultry, for instance, survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. At Salumeria 104, inspectors determined that food was not reaching required minimums.
The absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods means customers who are elderly, pregnant, immunocompromised, or living with chronic illness had no notice that dishes on the menu carried elevated risk. That information is not a legal formality. It is the only tool those customers have to make an informed choice about what they order.
The chemical storage citation carries its own acute hazard. Improperly stored or unlabeled chemicals near food preparation areas create a direct contamination pathway. Mislabeled containers have caused poisoning incidents in restaurant settings when staff mistake a chemical for a food-safe product.
The Longer Record
The September 9 inspection was not an outlier. State records show Salumeria 104 has been inspected 27 times and has accumulated 231 total violations across its history. The facility has never been emergency-closed.
The two inspections that followed on September 17 found 7 high-severity violations in one visit and 4 high-severity violations in a second visit the same day, suggesting the problems documented on September 9 were not fully resolved in the eight days between inspections. A February 2025 inspection produced 12 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate ones, the worst single inspection in the recent record.
The pattern across 2025 and 2026 is consistent. Every inspection on record during that stretch found multiple high-severity violations. The March 2026 inspections, conducted on back-to-back days, found 5 high-severity violations on March 28 and 7 high-severity violations on March 27. The November 2024 inspection found 5 high-severity violations. The facility has not had an inspection resulting in zero high-severity violations in any recent visit for which data is available.
The Longer Pattern
Twenty-seven inspections. Two hundred thirty-one total violations. Nine high-severity citations on September 9 alone, including shellfish with no identification records, food not reaching safe cooking temperatures, and toxic chemicals stored without proper labeling.
Salumeria 104 remained open after that inspection.
