06D — Food-contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized
A surface that touches food but is not washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use passes bacteria straight onto the next food. The slicer is the single most-cited piece of equipment because crews wipe it but skip taking it apart. The inspector runs a finger or cloth over food-contact surfaces and checks for residue. It is cited at 5-8 points by how many surfaces are dirty.
What the inspector looks for
Look at the meat slicer, can opener blade, cutting boards, and prep surfaces. Wipe a clean white towel across the slicer's blade and housing — it must come back with no food residue or brown film. Caked-on debris or a greasy surface means it was not cleaned and sanitized after use.
Points & grade impact
Cited at 5 points — 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 by number of contact surfaces 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
Wash, rinse and sanitize the surface immediately using the three-step method; remove caked-on food before sanitizing.
How to prevent it
Use a three-compartment sink (wash → rinse → sanitize → air dry); clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces after each use and when switching between raw and ready-to-eat foods; keep and use a sanitizer test kit.
- ✓Build wash-rinse-sanitize into every task change, and fully disassemble the slicer after each use period — post the steps at the machine.
- ✓Sanitize after each use, and any time you switch from raw to ready-to-eat on the same surface.
- ✓Keep a sanitizer test kit at the station and verify concentration; air-dry on racks — never towel-dry, which re-contaminates.
- ✓Retire cutting boards once they are deeply grooved; the grooves can no longer be sanitized.
Reference: Health Code §81.27(b)
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