What is Florida food safety violation V15?

Florida DBPR violation V15 (Food separated/protected) is a High Priority violation in the Food Handling category. Improper food storage, separation, or protection

Florida Violation V15: Food separated/protected

Q: What CDC risk factor does violation V15 fall under?

Violation V15 (Food separated/protected) is classified under: Contaminated Equipment/Protection - CDC Risk Factor #4. The CDC identifies five major risk factors contributing to foodborne illness outbreaks in food service establishments.

High PrioritySeverity

Food HandlingCategory

0Citations (12 mo)

Codes 01–28Classification

Florida DBPR violation V15 (Food separated/protected) is a high priority food safety violation classified under Food Handling.

Reference: 61C-4.010(5), FDA Food Code 3-302

What the Code Says

V15 — Food separated/protected

Improper food storage, separation, or protection
— Florida Administrative Code 61C-4, FDA Food Code

Why This Matters

STORAGE CONTAMINATION: Improper food storage and separation allows cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods. Raw meat dripping onto produce causes Salmonella and E. coli outbreaks. Uncovered food in walk-ins collects condensation carrying Listeria. Storing food on floor exposes it to splash, pest contamination, and cleaning chemicals.

CDC Risk Factor Classification: Contaminated Equipment/Protection - CDC Risk Factor #4

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

Code Requirements

Store food properly: raw meat/poultry BELOW ready-to-eat foods (in order: cooked food, raw fish, raw whole meat, raw ground meat, raw poultry — top to bottom). Cover all food. Store food minimum 6 inches off floor. Label and date-mark all items. Use FIFO (first in, first out) rotation. Separate by allergen type.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Florida food safety violation V15?: Improper food storage, separation, or protection This is classified as a high priority violation under the Food Handling category.
Why is violation V15 (Food separated/protected) dangerous?: STORAGE CONTAMINATION: Improper food storage and separation allows cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods. Raw meat dripping onto produce causes Salmonella and E. coli outbreaks. Uncovered food in walk-ins collects condensation carrying Listeria. Storing food on floor exposes it to s...
What CDC risk factor does this violation fall under?: This violation is classified under: Contaminated Equipment/Protection - CDC Risk Factor #4.

Data source: Florida DBPR public inspection records. Health risk information sourced from CDC, FDA Food Code, and peer-reviewed research. How we collect and verify this data.