HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A recent inspection by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services uncovered troubling sanitation issues at South Florida Food, located at 5801 Wiley St. in Hollywood.
The establishment, also known as “Empanada Factory & More,” operates as a wholesale and retail food supplier.
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According to state records, an inspection Tuesday revealed evidence of rodent activity in various areas of the facility.
Inspectors documented:
- Three rodent droppings on a storage shelf holding 50-pound bags of prepackaged Ardent Mills Hotel & Restaurant All-Purpose Flour, United Fine Granulated Sugar, and Torino Long Grain Rice.
- Three rodent droppings on top of two water fountains near the same storage shelf.
- Ten rodent droppings on the floor beneath the storage rack next to a wall by the water fountains near the entrance to the main dough production room.
- Eight rodent droppings in the corner by the east-side rolling bay door where products are received and delivered.
- Two rodent droppings near the entrance to the retail production room.
- The department issued a stop-sale order on shredded low-moisture cheese and prohibited the use of the storage area near the entrance of the dough production room.
The business was warned that failure to comply with sanitation standards or continued evidence of pest infestation would escalate enforcement actions.
If rodent activity is observed during follow-up inspections, the facility could face:
- Stop-use orders on all receiving areas and food-processing equipment.
- Stop-sale orders on exposed food items.
- The inability to receive additional food items until the infestation is eradicated.
South Florida Food must rectify these issues and undergo a successful follow-up inspection to resume normal operations.