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Violation V39 (Employee practices) is a Intermediate food safety violation in the Personnel category with 0 citations in the past 12 months. PERSONAL CONTAMINATION: Employees eating, drinking, smoking, or using tobacco in food areas introduce pathogens from mouth/hands to food contact surfaces.
Summary generated from Florida DBPR public inspection records and CDC food safety data.
Florida DBPR violation V39 (Employee practices) is a intermediate food safety violation classified under Personnel.
Reference: 61C-4.023(4), FDA Food Code 2-401
V39 — Employee practices
Improper employee practices (eating, drinking, smoking)
— Florida Administrative Code 61C-4, FDA Food Code
PERSONAL CONTAMINATION: Employees eating, drinking, smoking, or using tobacco in food areas introduce pathogens from mouth/hands to food contact surfaces. Saliva contains oral bacteria and viruses. Smoking/vaping introduces particulates and chemicals near food. Personal beverages can spill onto food surfaces. These behaviors represent a significant lapse in food safety culture.
CDC Risk Factor Classification: Poor Personal Hygiene - Employee Practices
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
Employees may NOT eat, drink, or use any form of tobacco in food preparation, service, or dishwashing areas. Designated employee break areas must be provided. Employees may drink from a closed, handled container in food prep areas only if container is stored to prevent contamination. Employee personal items must be stored in designated area away from food.
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.