Critical5 pointsFood Temperature & Time (TCS)

02C — Cooked/refrigerated PHF not reheated to 165°F within 2 hours

This is leftover or batch-cooked food (sauce, soup, rice, braises) that was cooked, refrigerated, and is being brought back to hot holding. It has to be blasted back up to 165°F quickly — within 2 hours — to kill anything that grew while it was cold. A steam table or hot well cannot do this; it only holds. The inspector will ask when the food was made and probe it. If reheating drags past 2 hours, the food must be discarded, not served.

What the inspector looks for

For any cooked food that was chilled and is now going back out hot, probe it after reheating. It must hit 165°F for 15 seconds within 2 hours. Reheating in the steam table instead of on the stove = flag it.

Points & grade impact

Cited at 5 points — 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 across condition I-IV. NYC adds every cited violation’s points into one inspection score: 0–13 = A, 14–27 = B, 28+ = C.

How to fix it

Reheat to 165°F for 15 seconds within 2 hours, then transfer to hot holding at 140°F+. If reheating took longer than 2 hours, discard.

How to prevent it

Reheat rapidly on the stove, oven, or steamer — not in the hot-holding unit; reheat only the amount you will use; never reheat the same food repeatedly.

✓Reheat rapidly on the stove, in the oven, or in a steamer — never bring cold food up to temp in the hot-holding unit.
✓Reheat only the amount you will actually use this service so nothing gets reheated twice.
✓Probe the center to confirm 165°F before transferring to holding at 140°F+.
✓Never reheat the same batch of food more than once; discard what is left.

Reference: Health Code §81.09(d)

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