JACKSONVILLE, FL. Back in January 2026, state inspectors walked into Sammy Yemariyam LLC, a convenience store on Jacksonville's north side, and found it operating without a valid food permit, selling hot food that was nowhere near hot enough, and storing raw meat directly above ready-to-eat products on retail shelves.
The inspection, conducted January 30 by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, documented 11 total violations, including one priority violation and three priority foundation violations. Two stop sale orders were issued before inspectors left the building.
What Inspectors Found
The most immediate food safety problem was the boiled peanuts. Inspectors measured the hot-held product at internal temperatures of 61 degrees Fahrenheit and 101 degrees Fahrenheit, well below the 135-degree minimum required for hot-held food. The person in charge voluntarily discarded the peanuts, and the inspector issued a stop sale order citing adulteration under Florida Statutes 500.04 and 500.10. A second stop sale order was also issued for the same category of violation.
On the retail floor, raw bacon and raw eggs were stored directly above ready-to-eat products. Inspectors noted both items were moved to an appropriate location during the inspection. That correction happened on site, but the cross-contamination risk had existed before the inspector arrived.
The store also had no valid food permit. The inspector's notes were direct: "Establishment open and operating without a valid food permit." A supplemental report was issued to management during the visit.
Management Knowledge Gaps
Three of the violations pointed to the same underlying problem: the person in charge did not demonstrate the basic food safety knowledge the state requires.
Management could not answer questions related to foodborne illnesses, according to the inspector. Separately, the store had no documentation showing employees had been informed of their responsibility to report illnesses that can be transmitted through food. Inspectors provided a Health Recommendation for Managers and Food Employee Agreement as guidance.
The store also had no written procedures for handling vomiting or diarrheal events, which are required under state food code. Inspectors provided a clean-up guidance document during the visit.
No certified food protection manager was on record for the establishment.
Physical Conditions
Inside the walk-in cooler, inspectors found beverages stored directly on the floor, a violation of the requirement that food be kept at least six inches above the floor. Those items were moved during the inspection.
The cooler's fans had a buildup of dust and dirt. The cooler floor had accumulated dust, dirt, and food debris. In a storage area elsewhere in the store, a sticky trap with dead insects was observed, which inspectors cited as a failure to maintain physical facilities in good repair.
The handwashing sink in the warewash area had no soap. It was restocked during the inspection.
What These Violations Mean
The boiled peanuts finding was the most acute risk to anyone who bought food at this store in January. Hot-held food that drops below 135 degrees enters a temperature range where bacteria multiply rapidly. A product measured at 61 degrees had likely been in that danger zone for an extended period. Customers buying what appeared to be freshly prepared food had no way to know the internal temperature.
Raw animal products stored above ready-to-eat items create a direct contamination path. If raw bacon or raw eggs drip, leak, or are handled carelessly, the products below them can carry pathogens without any visible sign of contamination. This is one of the most commonly documented causes of foodborne illness outbreaks in retail settings.
The management knowledge violations matter because they indicate systemic risk, not just a bad day. A person in charge who cannot answer basic questions about foodborne illness, and who has no documentation that employees know to report when they are sick, is operating a store where a sick employee could handle food without anyone recognizing the danger.
Operating without a valid food permit means the state had no current record of this establishment meeting baseline licensing standards before this inspection occurred.
The Longer Record
The January 30 inspection was classified as an "Operating Without a Valid Food Permit, Met Sanitation Inspection," meaning the store passed the sanitation portion of the visit despite the violations documented. None of the 11 violations were marked as repeats from a prior inspection.
The data does not include a prior inspection count for this facility, which limits the ability to place this visit in a longer pattern. What the record does show is a store that was open and selling food, including hot prepared food, without holding a current state permit at the time inspectors arrived.
Of the 11 violations documented, only a handful were corrected on site. The beverages on the cooler floor were moved. The raw meat was repositioned. Soap was added to the handwashing sink. The boiled peanuts were discarded under a stop sale order.
The food permit violation, the absence of a certified food protection manager, the missing employee illness reporting documentation, and the written vomiting and diarrheal event procedures were all unresolved when inspectors left the building on January 30.