Cold TCS Food Held Above 41°F — NYC Health Violation 02G
Violation code 02G—Cold TCS Food Held Above 41°F—is a critical temperature control violation cited over 20,000 times across NYC restaurants. When potentially hazardous cold foods like deli meats, seafood, and prepared salads are held above 41°F, dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella multiply rapidly; E. coli can double every 30 minutes in the danger zone (41–70°F), and just 4 hours of improper storage can create pathogenic levels capable of causing severe foodborne illness including bloody diarrhea and organ damage. NYC DOHMH treats this as a critical violation because it directly enables the conditions for acute, serious illness.
What is Violation 02G?
Cold potentially hazardous foods must be kept at 41°F or below (38°F for smoked fish) to prevent bacterial growth.
Keep all cold TCS foods at 41°F or below (smoked fish 38°F, shell eggs 45°F). Monitor with calibrated thermometer every 2-4 hours. Ice baths must surround container to food level. Repair refrigeration immediately. DISCARD foods above 41°F for over 4 hours.
CDC Risk Factor: Improper Holding/Time & Temperature
Which Boroughs See Violation 02G Most?
Restaurants Cited for Violation 02G (20,403 total)
Related Temperature Control Violations
Violation 02G: Frequently Asked Questions
- What is violation 02G in NYC restaurants?
- Cold potentially hazardous foods must be kept at 41°F or below (38°F for smoked fish) to prevent bacterial growth.
- How serious is violation 02G?
- Critical violation. DANGER ZONE GROWTH: Between 41-70°F, E. coli doubles every 30 minutes. Salmonella doubles every 20 minutes at 70-90°F. After just 4 hours above 41°F, bacteria levels can cause severe illness including bloody diarrhea, kidney failure (E. coli), and typhoid fever (Salmonella).
- How many NYC restaurants have been cited for violation 02G?
- 20,403 NYC restaurant inspections have included violation 02G, representing 18.44% of all inspections with violations.
- Which borough has the most violation 02G citations?
- Manhattan has the highest number of violation 02G citations among NYC boroughs.
- What must a restaurant do to fix violation 02G?
- Keep all cold TCS foods at 41°F or below (smoked fish 38°F, shell eggs 45°F). Monitor with calibrated thermometer every 2-4 hours. Ice baths must surround container to food level. Repair refrigeration immediately. DISCARD foods above 41°F for over 4 hours.
- Is violation 02G a critical violation?
- Yes, violation 02G is a critical violation. Critical violations pose the most serious risk to public health and must be corrected immediately.