10E — Accurate thermometer not provided in holding equipment
The built-in thermometer is how you (and your staff) catch a cooler drifting warm before the food becomes unsafe. The rule requires an accurate ambient thermometer in every cold and hot holding unit. It's a low-point General violation (2-5 points by number of units), but it's the early-warning system that prevents the expensive temperature-abuse citations (02B/02G) — a quick check that heads off a cascade.
What the inspector looks for
Open each reach-in, walk-in, and hot-holding unit and find the thermometer inside. Every unit needs one, mounted in the warmest spot of a cold unit (near the door), and it must read true — cold units at 41°F or below, hot units at 140°F or above. A unit with no thermometer, or one stuck on a wrong reading, is the violation.
Points & grade impact
Cited at 2 points — 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 by number of units 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
Place an accurate thermometer in each cold and hot holding unit (in the warmest spot of cold units); replace inaccurate ones.
How to prevent it
Keep an accurate ambient thermometer in every holding unit; verify accuracy periodically and record holding temperatures.
- ✓Put an accurate thermometer in every holding unit, in the warmest part of a cold unit (front, near the door).
- ✓Log each unit's temperature at open and through the day so a failing compressor shows up fast.
- ✓Verify a unit thermometer against a calibrated probe periodically; replace any that reads off.
- ✓Aim cold units a touch below 41°F (38-40°F) so a busy door-open service still holds the line.
Reference: Health Code §81.18(a)(3)
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