CLERMONT, FL. A state inspector visiting Sarah Greek Village Deli at 16640 Cagan Crossings Blvd on May 15 found food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, toxic chemicals stored improperly near food, and employees using handwashing technique that left pathogens on their hands. The restaurant collected six high-severity violations and three intermediate citations. It was not closed.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHFood not cooked to required minimum temperaturePathogen survival risk
2HIGHToxic chemicals improperly stored or labeledAcute poisoning risk
3HIGHImproper hand and arm washing techniquePathogen transfer
4HIGHFood contact surfaces not properly cleaned/sanitizedCross-contamination
5HIGHNo allergen awareness demonstratedAllergic reaction risk
6HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foodsUninformed customer risk
7INTInadequate cooling/cold holding equipmentTemperature failure
8INTSingle-use items improperly reusedContamination risk
9INTInadequate ventilation and lightingAir quality concern

The undercooking violation sits at the top of the list for a reason. For a deli that serves poultry, salmonella survives at temperatures below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. An undercooked piece of chicken can look done and still carry enough bacteria to hospitalize a customer.

The chemical storage violation compounds that concern. Toxic chemicals stored near or improperly labeled around food preparation areas create a direct contamination path, whether through a spill, a mislabeled bottle, or cross-contact during a busy service. The risk is not theoretical.

The handwashing citation adds a third layer. Inspectors do not cite improper technique because an employee skipped a step on paper. They cite it because they observed it. A handwashing attempt that fails to remove pathogens is, for practical purposes, no handwashing at all.

The inspector also found that food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, that staff could not demonstrate allergen awareness, and that no consumer advisory was posted for raw or undercooked items. Customers with food allergies or compromised immune systems had no way of knowing what risks they were taking.

What These Violations Mean

Undercooking is one of the most direct causes of foodborne illness on the books. When food, particularly poultry, does not reach the required internal temperature, bacteria that heat would otherwise destroy remain viable. A customer who orders a gyro or a chicken dish at a Greek deli has no way of knowing whether the meat on their plate hit 165 degrees.

The allergen violation is a separate and acute danger. Food allergies affect 32 million Americans, and allergic reactions send 30,000 people to emergency rooms each year. When staff cannot demonstrate allergen awareness, a customer with a tree nut or sesame allergy who asks a direct question cannot trust the answer they receive. At Sarah Greek Village Deli on May 15, the record shows that gap existed.

Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, including cutting boards and prep equipment, are a primary route for bacterial transfer between raw and cooked food. A surface that handles raw poultry and is not properly sanitized before the next use carries that contamination forward.

The intermediate citation for inadequate cooling equipment matters because it does not stand alone. Combined with a cooking temperature violation, it means food at this location faced hazards at both ends of the temperature spectrum, too hot on the way in and potentially not cold enough on the way out.

The Pattern

The May 15 inspection was not an aberration. State records show 28 inspections on file for Sarah Greek Village Deli, with 374 total violations documented across that history.

The most recent inspections tell the story most clearly. On March 16 of this year, the deli drew six high-severity and three intermediate violations. Two days earlier, on March 13, inspectors found nine high-severity and five intermediate violations. The facility was not closed after either visit.

Going back further, the deli logged seven high violations in June 2025, eight in October 2024, and ten high violations in a single inspection in April 2024. The April 2024 visit also produced seven intermediate citations, the heaviest combined total in recent years.

The Longer Record

Sarah Greek Village Deli: Recent Inspection History

2024-04-0310 high, 7 intermediate violations. Heaviest single inspection in the available record.
2024-10-218 high, 4 intermediate violations.
2024-10-224 high, 4 intermediate violations. Follow-up the next day showed partial improvement.
2025-06-177 high, 3 intermediate violations.
2025-11-044 high, 2 intermediate violations.
2026-03-139 high, 5 intermediate violations.
2026-03-166 high, 3 intermediate violations.
2026-05-156 high, 3 intermediate violations. Facility remained open.

Across eight inspections spanning roughly two years, the deli has never recorded fewer than four high-severity violations. The counts have fluctuated but have not trended down. No emergency closure appears anywhere in the facility's history.

The 374 total violations on record represent an average of more than 13 violations per inspection over 28 visits. For a single deli in a Clermont shopping center, that is a sustained accumulation, not a run of bad days.

On May 15, with six high-severity violations including undercooked food, improperly stored chemicals, and staff who could not demonstrate allergen awareness, Sarah Greek Village Deli was not closed. It remained open for business.