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 V17 (Proper reheating) is a High Priority food safety violation in the Food Safety category with 0 citations in the past 12 months. SPORE GERMINATION: Improper reheating allows heat-resistant bacterial spores (Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus) that survived initial cooking to germinate and multiply to dangerous levels.
Summary generated from Florida DBPR public inspection records and CDC food safety data.
Under Florida's food safety regulations, V17 (Proper reheating) is a high priority violation addressing Food Safety standards.
Reference: 61C-4.010(4)(d), FDA Food Code 3-403.11
V17 — Proper reheating
Food not properly reheated for hot holding
— Florida Administrative Code 61C-4, FDA Food Code
SPORE GERMINATION: Improper reheating allows heat-resistant bacterial spores (Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus) that survived initial cooking to germinate and multiply to dangerous levels. Food must pass through the danger zone (41-140°F) rapidly. Slow reheating in steam tables or crock pots can produce 100 million bacteria per gram — enough to cause severe illness within hours.
CDC Risk Factor Classification: Improper Holding/Time & Temperature - CDC Risk Factor #3
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
Reheat previously cooked TCS food to 165°F within 2 hours for hot holding. Do NOT use hot holding equipment (steam tables, warmers) for reheating — they heat too slowly. Use stove, oven, or microwave to reheat rapidly. If food cannot reach 165°F within 2 hours, DISCARD. Document reheating temperatures.
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.