02H — Cooked PHF not cooled by an approved method
Cooling is the riskiest step in the kitchen: a big pot of soup, rice, or braise left to cool slowly spends hours in the danger zone and grows toxins that reheating will not destroy. A deep, tightly covered hotel pan barely cools at all. The inspector will probe a pot that looks recently placed — if it has been 3 hours and is still 90°F, that fails the timeline. Use shallow pans, ice baths, and ice paddles. If you blew past the 2-hour or 6-hour limit, discard it.
What the inspector looks for
Find hot food put in to cool today and probe it. It must drop 140°F→70°F within 2 hours, then 70°F→41°F within 4 more hours (6 hours total). A deep covered pan of warm food in the walk-in = flag it.
Points & grade impact
Cited at 7 points — 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 across condition I-IV; 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
If still within safe limits, break the food into shallow or smaller portions and rapidly chill (ice bath, ice paddles, add ice). If the cooling time/temperature limits were exceeded, discard.
How to prevent it
Use rapid-cooling methods: ice-water bath and stir, ice as an ingredient, shallow pans ≤2 in deep, portions ≤6 lbs, loosely covered; take and record cooling temperatures on schedule.
- ✓Break food into shallow pans no more than 2 inches deep, or portions of 6 lbs or less, so it sheds heat fast.
- ✓Use an ice-water bath and stir, or frozen ice paddles, and add ice as an ingredient where you can.
- ✓Leave cooling food loosely covered (not sealed tight) so heat can escape, and never stack hot pans.
- ✓Take and record cooling temps on a schedule: confirm 70°F by 2 hours and 41°F by 6 hours.
Reference: Health Code §81.09(e)
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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