LIVE OAK, FL. Back in March 2026, a state inspector walked into the deli area of S&S Food Stores #345 on a routine sanitation check and found raw chicken stored directly above raw fish inside the walk-in cooler.
That finding, a priority violation, was the most serious of eight total violations documented during the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspection on March 5, 2026. The store met sanitation requirements overall, but the inspection record shows a cluster of food safety lapses concentrated in the deli area.
What Inspectors Found
The walk-in cooler finding was straightforward: raw chicken was sitting above raw fish on the shelving. The inspector noted the fish was properly relocated during the visit.
In the ice bagging area, the handwashing sink had been converted into storage for damaged and discarded drinks. Every item was removed during the inspection, restoring access to the sink.
Employee beverages were found stored above and on top of in-use soda syrup boxes in the deli area. The inspector discussed the issue with the store manager and the beverages were relocated.
The ice chute on the drive-through soda machine had a reddish debris accumulation on its surface. The inspector documented the chute was washed, rinsed and sanitized before the visit ended.
A scoop with no handle was found sitting inside a flour bin. Management was notified, the scoop was pulled from service and discarded, and a replacement was put into proper use during the inspection.
Serving spoons pulled from a drawer below the condiment and single-use packaging table were wet-nesting, meaning they had been stacked while still damp, a condition that traps moisture and can allow bacterial growth between surfaces. All affected spoons were removed, rewashed and allowed to air dry.
Cooler drawer handles below the flat-top grill had old food buildup and residue near the handle attachment points. The inspector discussed the condition with management but the record does not indicate the handles were cleaned during the visit.
Cobwebs and dust buildup were observed near the drive-through operator's station on the ceiling and wall fixtures. That finding was also discussed with the store manager without a documented on-site correction.
What These Violations Mean
The raw chicken-over-raw-fish violation is the kind of storage error that can transfer pathogens between products before either one is cooked. Chicken frequently carries Salmonella and Campylobacter. When it is stored above fish or other proteins, drips and condensation can contaminate whatever is below it. The risk is direct and the fix is simple, which is why improper raw animal food separation is classified as a priority violation under state food safety rules.
The blocked handwashing sink in the ice bagging area is a different category of concern. Ice is a ready-to-eat food, meaning it goes into drinks and food without any cooking step to kill pathogens. Workers handling packaged ice or operating in that area need immediate access to a handwashing sink. Using the basin as a dumping spot for damaged inventory eliminates that access entirely.
Wet-nesting utensils, the serving spoons found in the drawer, matter because moisture trapped between stacked equipment creates conditions where bacteria can survive and multiply even on surfaces that were sanitized before stacking. The equipment looks clean but the stacking method undoes the sanitizing step.
The reddish debris on the ice chute is notable for the same reason as the blocked handwashing sink. Ice dispensed through a contaminated chute picks up whatever is on that surface. Customers receiving drinks from a drive-through soda machine have no way to know the condition of the chute their ice passed through.
The Longer Record
The March 2026 inspection was the fourth FDACS inspection on record at this location. The three prior visits, in May 2025, March 2025 and September 2023, each recorded zero violations. All three were focused inspections, a more limited review than a full sanitation inspection.
The March 2026 visit was a full sanitation inspection, and the eight violations it turned up were the first documented at this store. None of the eight were marked as repeat violations, meaning inspectors had not flagged any of the same problems in prior visits.
The distinction between focused and full inspections matters here. A focused inspection targets specific areas or practices and does not sweep the entire operation. The three clean visits before March 2026 do not necessarily mean the deli area was in better condition during those years, only that it was not the subject of those particular reviews.
Corrections and What Remained Open
Six of the eight violations were corrected on site during the March 5 inspection. The raw chicken storage, the blocked handwashing sink, the employee beverages, the ice chute debris, the handleless scoop and the wet-nesting spoons were all addressed before the inspector left.
Two violations were not documented as corrected during the visit. The old food buildup on the cooler drawer handles below the flat-top grill and the cobwebs and dust at the drive-through operator's station were both discussed with management, but the inspection record contains no notation that either was resolved before the inspector departed.
The store met sanitation requirements and was not ordered closed. No stop-sale orders were issued and no products were pulled from shelves. The food buildup on the cooler handles and the cobwebs at the operator's station remained unresolved as of the inspection date.