DADE CITY, FL. Back in February 2026, state inspectors walked into a Dade City convenience store and found the serving spoons used for boiled peanuts had not been washed since the store opened that morning. By noon, those spoons were still in use.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services cited St George Express Food Mart Inc, a convenience store with limited food service on State Road 52, following a February 23, 2026 inspection that turned up 18 total violations, including 2 priority violations and 5 priority foundation violations. None were repeats from a previous inspection, but the range of problems documented that day pointed to gaps running well beyond a single oversight.
What Inspectors Found
The boiled peanut spoons were the most direct food safety concern. The inspector noted the spoons were in use from the time the store opened and were still in use at noon, well past the four-hour limit for utensils used with time and temperature control foods. The person in charge washed, rinsed, and sanitized the spoons after the inspector intervened.
The second priority violation involved chemical products stored above single-use items intended for use with food. Inspectors noted the products were in the retail area, and the issue was corrected on site when the single-use items were moved to the top shelf.
The store was also selling a bag of ice with no label, a violation of federal labeling law. An employee labeled the product during the inspection. Separately, inspectors found the store had not conducted its required quarterly microbial ice analysis since 2024, and the establishment was given 30 days to provide documentation.
Beverages were stored directly on the floor in both the walk-in cooler and the retail area, rather than at least six inches above it. A wet mop had been left in a back hallway without being hung to dry. Water-stained and damaged ceiling tiles were observed in the retail area.
Management and Documentation Gaps
Several of the February findings pointed to a store where basic food safety management systems were not in place. The person in charge could not correctly answer questions about the main foodborne illnesses, and inspectors provided guidelines. The establishment also could not provide verifiable documentation that employees had been informed of illness reporting requirements.
There were no written procedures for responding to vomiting or diarrheal events, a requirement designed to limit contamination spread. The store also lacked a certified food protection manager and could not provide documentation that anyone had passed the required certification exam.
The 2026 food permit was not posted. The 2024 permit was on display instead.
No probe thermometer was available during the inspection, though inspectors noted no temperature violations were observed that day. The three-compartment sink in the ware wash area had no air gap in the plumbing, creating a direct connection that could allow contamination to backflow into the water supply. The same sink was not sealed against the wall. The restroom door was not self-closing, and the dumpster outside was stored on an unpaved surface.
What These Violations Mean
The unwashed boiled peanut spoons represent one of the more direct contamination risks in this inspection. Utensils used with foods that require temperature control must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized at regular intervals, because bacteria can multiply on food residue left on surfaces over hours. A spoon that has been in contact with warm boiled peanuts since opening and is still in use at midday is a surface that has had hours to accumulate bacterial growth.
The absence of a probe thermometer at St George Express Food Mart is a compounding problem. Without a working thermometer readily accessible, the store has no reliable way to verify that prepared or held foods are within safe temperature ranges. The inspector noted no temperature violations during the visit, but that observation was made without the store's own measurement tools.
The documentation failures carry their own risks. When employees cannot demonstrate knowledge of the five major foodborne illnesses and their symptoms, the first line of defense against a sick worker handling food is gone. Written illness reporting procedures and vomiting or diarrheal event protocols exist precisely because an uninformed or untrained employee is unlikely to self-report or respond correctly without them. Neither system was in place at this store in February.
The plumbing violation at the three-compartment sink, specifically the lack of an air gap, is a structural concern. A direct plumbing connection without an air gap can allow contaminated water to flow back into the clean water supply under certain pressure conditions.
The Longer Record
The February 2026 inspection was not the first time state inspectors had documented problems at this location. Records show a prior FDACS inspection on March 24, 2022, which resulted in 10 violations and was conducted under the category of operating without a valid food permit.
That 2022 inspection is notable given that the February 2026 inspection found the store displaying a 2024 permit rather than the current 2026 permit. The permit display issue has a documented antecedent at this address.
None of the 18 violations from February 2026 were formally marked as repeats of the 2022 findings. The store now has two inspections on record, four years apart, with a combined 28 violations across both visits. The quarterly ice microbial analysis had not been conducted since 2024, and as of the February inspection date, the store had been given 30 days to produce documentation. Whether that documentation was provided is not reflected in the inspection record.