Going to the Gator Bowl? Food inspectors found these problems at TIAA Bank Field

Some food vendors at TIAA Bank Field, where South Carolina and Notre Dame play Friday in the Gator Bowl, were flagged in November by Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation and required a follow-up inspection.

The department observed more than 100 basic, intermediate and high-priority violations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code, according department reports.

High-priority violations are concerns that could relate directly to food borne illness, intermediate violations contribute to risk factors associated with food borne illness and basic violations consider best practices of food safety.

One inspection report from Nov. 6 found evidence of pests such as rodent droppings, bugs and several dead rodents. Standing water, open food and missing hand soap at hand washing stations were also concerns.

Another vendor inspection found that a vendor was operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license, a repeated violation.

Some employees were cited for not wearing hair nets or beard guards in another report.

Grease and debris on surfaces and the floor were found at multiple locations.

While some issues were fixed on site, others required a second visit to ensure compliance. First Coast News reported that follow-up inspections were completed and all concessions passed. The State has contacted Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation to confirm the results.

ASM Global, the venue company that manages TIAA Bank Field, declined to comment about the inspections and deferred inquiries to Delaware North, the stadium’s food services provider. The State has reached out to Delaware North. ASM Global told First Coast News in November that the company was made aware of the health inspections and was working to correct violations.

“The health and safety of patrons at all our venues remains the top priority,” the company said. “Any lack of commitment to those standards is unacceptable.”

TIAA Bank Field is often ranked as one of the worst NFL stadiums, and has not had significant renovations since it was built in 1995.