, FL. The person in charge at Smoothie King Miramar could not answer basic questions about preventing foodborne illness when a state inspector arrived on August 31, according to Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services records. That finding was one of four priority or priority-foundation violations documented during the visit, which also turned up fruit flies at the mop sink drain, a missing probe thermometer, and two violations the facility had already been cited for before.
The inspection recorded 11 total violations. None were corrected on site under the priority or priority-foundation categories that carry the most direct public health weight.
What Inspectors Found
The inspector noted that the person in charge "could not answer questions that relate to foodborne illness." That is not a paperwork problem. It means the employee responsible for the operation at that moment lacked the foundational knowledge required to recognize or respond to a contamination risk.
The same inspection found that the facility does not have a probe thermometer for checking internal food temperatures. At a smoothie counter where blended ingredients cycle through refrigeration and handling, there is no tool on hand to verify that temperatures are within safe ranges.
Fruit flies were documented at the floor drain of the mop sink in the backroom. The inspector's notes describe "multiple fruit flies" at that location. Fruit flies concentrate around standing organic matter and can carry bacteria between surfaces.
Two of the 11 violations were marked repeat citations. The facility did not have a certified food protection manager, and the person in charge could not produce written employee procedures for responding to a vomit or diarrhea event. Both of those same deficiencies were apparently present at a prior inspection.
The ice bin at the service counter had soil build-up on the basin and on the internal cabinet. That violation was corrected on site, with staff voluntarily washing, rinsing, and sanitizing the unit during the inspection. The wall-mounted blue ice scoop holder at the ice machine also had soil build-up and was cleaned during the visit.
An employee was observed not effectively restraining hair during food processing and service. A second employee was wearing a bracelet on the wrist during processing and service, both of which are basic hygiene violations. Multiple cases of single-service cups were found stored on the floor in the storage room, and the dumpster outside, located adjacent to the front door, was uncovered.
What These Violations Mean
The two repeat violations at Smoothie King Miramar are not administrative oversights. The absence of a certified food protection manager means no one on staff has completed the training required to recognize and correct the conditions that lead to foodborne illness outbreaks. State rules require at least one such certified manager per establishment. When that role goes unfilled, the knowledge gap shows up elsewhere, including in a person in charge who cannot answer basic food safety questions.
Written procedures for cleaning up vomit and diarrhea events exist for a specific reason. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness, spreads through contact with contaminated surfaces. A facility without written cleanup protocols has no standardized response when an event occurs, which means contamination can spread to food contact surfaces, packaging, and products.
The missing probe thermometer matters because temperature is the primary tool for confirming food safety in a blended-food environment. Without it, there is no way to verify that ingredients held in refrigeration are staying below 41 degrees, or that anything requiring a minimum internal temperature has reached it. The inspector's note is direct: the establishment does not have one.
Fruit flies at a floor drain signal organic buildup in the drain itself, a condition that draws and sustains pest populations. In a food service environment, flies that breed near a mop sink can move freely to food prep surfaces and equipment.
The Longer Record
The August 31 inspection was the second FDACS visit to this location in two weeks. A focused inspection on August 18 recorded zero violations. That visit, described in state records as a focused inspection, covered a narrower scope than the full sanitation inspection that followed.
The full inspection on August 31 turned up 11 violations, including two that were already on record as repeat citations. That pattern, a clean focused visit followed by a full inspection revealing repeat problems, suggests the underlying conditions were present before the August 31 visit.
The repeat status of both the certified manager citation and the vomit-and-diarrhea procedures citation indicates the facility was aware of both deficiencies and had not resolved them between inspections. Neither was corrected on site during the August 31 visit.
As of the August 31 inspection, the facility met sanitation inspection requirements overall, meaning it was not ordered closed. But four priority-foundation violations remained unresolved at the end of the visit, including the person in charge's inability to answer foodborne illness questions and the absence of a thermometer for checking food temperatures.
