Food Contaminated or Cross-Contaminated — NYC Health Violation 04H
Violation code 04H—Food Contaminated or Cross-Contaminated—is a critical food protection violation cited when raw, cooked, or prepared food becomes adulterated or cross-contaminated during storage, preparation, or service. This violation poses severe public health risk: cross-contamination can spread pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 rapidly across multiple food items and cause multi-victim outbreaks, with potentially serious consequences including kidney failure. NYC DOHMH has cited this violation 6,869 times across the city, making it one of the most frequently documented food safety failures in restaurant inspections.
What is Violation 04H?
Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, or cross-contaminated during storage, preparation, or service.
Prevent ALL cross-contamination: Separate equipment for raw and ready-to-eat, Color-coded cutting boards, Proper storage order (raw below ready-to-eat), Clean and sanitize between different foods, Cover all foods, Change gloves between tasks.
CDC Risk Factor: Contaminated Equipment/Cross-Contamination
Which Boroughs See Violation 04H Most?
Restaurants Cited for Violation 04H (6,869 total)
Related Food Protection Violations
Violation 04H: Frequently Asked Questions
- What is violation 04H in NYC restaurants?
- Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, or cross-contaminated during storage, preparation, or service.
- How serious is violation 04H?
- Critical violation. PATHOGEN SPREAD: Cross-contamination spreads deadly bacteria throughout facility. One contaminated cutting board can transfer Salmonella to 20+ food items. Causes multi-victim outbreaks. E. coli O157:H7 from raw beef can cause kidney failure in children.
- How many NYC restaurants have been cited for violation 04H?
- 6,869 NYC restaurant inspections have included violation 04H, representing 6.21% of all inspections with violations.
- Which borough has the most violation 04H citations?
- Manhattan has the highest number of violation 04H citations among NYC boroughs.
- What must a restaurant do to fix violation 04H?
- Prevent ALL cross-contamination: Separate equipment for raw and ready-to-eat, Color-coded cutting boards, Proper storage order (raw below ready-to-eat), Clean and sanitize between different foods, Cover all foods, Change gloves between tasks.
- Is violation 04H a critical violation?
- Yes, violation 04H is a critical violation. Critical violations pose the most serious risk to public health and must be corrected immediately.