DELAND, FL. A state inspector walked into Takumi Sushi on North Woodland Boulevard on September 18, 2026, and left with a citation sheet showing seven high-severity violations and zero intermediate ones, meaning every single violation documented that day sat at the top of the state's risk scale. The restaurant was not closed.
The violation that carries the most direct risk to customers who ordered raw fish: inspectors found that parasite destruction procedures had not been followed. Sushi restaurants serving raw or undercooked fish are required to document that fish has been frozen to specific temperatures for specific durations, a process that kills parasites including Anisakis roundworms and tapeworms. No documentation, no procedure, no compliance.
What Inspectors Found
Alongside the parasite failure, inspectors cited inadequate shell stock identification and records. Shellfish served at sushi restaurants, including oysters, clams, and mussels, must arrive with tags identifying the harvest location and date. Without those records, there is no way to trace a shellfish-related illness back to its source if customers get sick.
Inspectors also found no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods. Florida law requires restaurants serving raw fish, raw shellfish, or undercooked proteins to display a written notice warning customers of the associated health risks. At Takumi Sushi that day, no such notice was in place.
The remaining four violations compound the picture. Employees were found not reporting symptoms of illness, a direct pathway for norovirus and other pathogens to reach food. Handwashing technique was cited as improper, meaning attempts to wash hands were being made but in a way that left pathogens behind. Toxic substances were found improperly identified, stored, or used, creating a chemical contamination risk in a kitchen where food was being prepared. And no allergen awareness was demonstrated by staff, a failure that affects the 32 million Americans living with food allergies.
What These Violations Mean
The parasite destruction failure is the most acute risk for anyone who ate raw fish at Takumi Sushi before or around the September 18 inspection. Anisakis, a roundworm found in marine fish including salmon and mackerel, causes severe abdominal pain and can require surgical removal if not caught. The required freezing protocols exist specifically because cooking is not always part of a sushi order. Without documented compliance, there is no way to know whether the fish served was ever treated.
The shellfish records violation operates the same way. If a customer developed vibrio illness after eating oysters at Takumi Sushi, investigators would need harvest tags to identify the source bed and pull product from distribution. Without those tags, the trail goes cold at the restaurant door.
The illness reporting failure is a different kind of risk. Norovirus spreads through food contaminated by sick workers. A single employee handling sushi rolls while symptomatic can expose dozens of customers in a single shift. The violation does not mean a sick employee was working that day; it means the system that would catch one was not functioning.
The allergen awareness failure sits alongside the others without being less serious. A customer with a sesame or shellfish allergy relying on staff to guide their order at a restaurant where no allergen awareness was demonstrated has no reliable safety net.
The Longer Record
Takumi Sushi has three inspections on record with the state, all within the past year. The September 2026 inspection is the third and by far the worst, but the pattern of high-severity violations predates it.
The first recorded inspection, on September 9, 2025, turned up one high-severity violation. Three months later, on December 5, 2025, inspectors returned and found three high-severity violations and three intermediate ones. The facility has never been emergency-closed.
The September 2026 visit more than doubled the violation count from any prior inspection, jumping to seven high-severity citations with no intermediate violations at all. That distribution is notable: intermediate violations typically cover operational and procedural gaps, while high-severity violations address the conditions most directly linked to foodborne illness. Finding seven of the latter and none of the former suggests the inspection captured systemic failures rather than paperwork lapses.
Across all three inspections, Takumi Sushi has accumulated 18 total violations. The trajectory moved from one high-severity citation, to six total violations, to seven high-severity citations in a single visit.
Open for Business
State inspectors documented seven high-severity violations at a raw fish restaurant, including a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures and no system for employees to report illness symptoms. They did not order the restaurant closed.
Takumi Sushi on North Woodland Boulevard was open after the inspection concluded.
