Ocala Buffet Stayed Open With 8 High-Severity Violations, Including Undercooked Food
China Lee Buffet in Ocala logged 8 high-severity violations May 4, including undercooked food and improperly stored toxi…
Violation V07 (No bare hand contact) is a High Priority food safety violation in the Food Handling category with 41 citations in the past 12 months. DIRECT CONTAMINATION: Bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food is the primary transmission route for Norovirus (20 million US cases/year), Hepatitis A, and Staphylococcus aureus.
Summary generated from Florida DBPR public inspection records and CDC food safety data.
Violation V07 — No bare hand contact — is classified as a high priority violation in Florida's food safety code under the Food Handling category.
Reference: 61C-4.023(3), FDA Food Code 3-301.11
V07 — No bare hand contact
Bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food
— Florida Administrative Code 61C-4, FDA Food Code
DIRECT CONTAMINATION: Bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food is the primary transmission route for Norovirus (20 million US cases/year), Hepatitis A, and Staphylococcus aureus. Even freshly washed hands carry 80+ bacterial species. Ready-to-eat food receives no subsequent kill step — any pathogens transferred are consumed directly. CDC identifies this as a leading cause of foodborne outbreaks.
CDC Risk Factor Classification: Poor Personal Hygiene - CDC Risk Factor #5
The CDC identifies five major contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks: food from unsafe sources, inadequate cooking, improper holding temperatures, contaminated equipment, and poor personal hygiene. Source: CDC Contributing Factors
In 2014, a Florida restaurant worker diagnosed with Hepatitis A continued handling food without disclosure, potentially exposing hundreds of customers. The Florida DOH issued a public health alert and offered free vaccinations to patrons who had eaten at the establishment.
Source: CDC — Hepatitis A Information
NO bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food. Use: single-use gloves (change hourly and between tasks), tongs, spatulas, spoons, deli tissue, or dispensing equipment. Wash hands BEFORE donning gloves. Gloves are not a substitute for handwashing. Document no-bare-hand-contact policy and train all food handlers.
China Lee Buffet in Ocala logged 8 high-severity violations May 4, including undercooked food and improperly stored toxi…
Data Source: This reference is based on official public inspection records from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the FDA Food Code.
Editorial Process: Content generated using AI to synthesize complex regulatory data and CDC food safety research, then reviewed and verified for accuracy by our editorial team.
Disclaimer: Violation descriptions reflect Florida Administrative Code Chapter 61C-4 and the FDA Food Code current at time of publication. Health risk information sourced from CDC, FDA, and peer-reviewed research.
Editor: All content reviewed and verified by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., Nationally Registered EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
This page is maintained by FloridaFoodSafety.org. How we collect and verify this data.