02G — Cold TCS food not held at or below 41°F
Cold food is sitting too warm, which lets bacteria grow. The most common causes are an overstuffed reach-in with no airflow, a cold rail filled too high above the chill line, or warm food set into a cold table to 'cool down.' The inspector probes the actual food (not just the air) — back corners, bottom shelves, and the tops of overfilled inserts run warmest. A single item over 41°F counts. If it has been above 41°F for 4 hours or less you may rapidly re-chill to 41°F; if the time is unknown or has exceeded 4 hours, discard. This is a public health hazard (7+ points, and one of the most-cited NYC violations).
What the inspector looks for
Read the thermometer in every cold unit and probe the food in cold wells/inserts. TCS food must be 41°F or below (smoked/processed fish 38°F or below, raw shell eggs 45°F or below). Anything warmer = flag it.
Points & grade impact
Cited at 7 points — 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 across condition I-IV (more items/areas); uncorrected PHH → 28. NYC adds every cited violation’s points into one inspection score: 0–13 = A, 14–27 = B, 28+ = C.
| Condition level | Points |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | 7 |
| Level 2 | 8 |
| Level 3 | 9 |
| Level 4 | 10 |
How to fix it
Probe the food. If it has been held above 41°F for 4 hours or less you may rapidly re-chill it to 41°F; if the time/temperature is unknown or has exceeded 4 hours, discard. Move food to a working unit and don't stack above the chill line.
How to prevent it
Pre-chill cold wells before loading; never use a cold table to cool warm food; keep cold TCS at 41°F or below; don't overfill pans; place a thermometer in the warmest spot and log temperatures.
- ✓Set walk-ins and reach-ins to a 36-38°F target, not 41°F — 41°F is the legal ceiling, not the goal, and gives you no buffer.
- ✓Never fill cold-rail inserts above the chill line, and never use a cold table to cool warm food.
- ✓Keep a thermometer in the warmest spot of each unit, log temps twice a shift, and do not overcrowd (leave room for air to move).
- ✓If a probe and the unit's gauge disagree, trust the probe and call for service — a unit reading 38°F with food at 45°F is still a violation.
Reference: Health Code §81.09(a)
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Run a free self-auditMore Food Temperature & Time (TCS) violations
- 02AFood requiring cooking not cooked to required minimum temperature
- 02BHot TCS food not held at or above 140°F
- 02CCooked/refrigerated PHF not reheated to 165°F within 2 hours
- 02DPre-cooked commercially processed PHF not heated to 140°F within 2 hours
- 02EWhole frozen poultry cooked frozen or partially thawed
- 02FEggs, meat, fish or other PHF served raw or undercooked