Food Contact Surfaces Not Properly Sanitized — NYC Health Violation 06D
Violation code 06D — Food Contact Surfaces Not Properly Sanitized — is a critical NYC DOHMH violation cited over 20,900 times across the city, most frequently in Manhattan. This violation occurs when cutting boards, counters, utensils, and other surfaces that touch food are not washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use or following contamination. Unsanitized surfaces can harbor millions of bacteria within hours and are a major cause of cross-contamination and multi-victim foodborne illness outbreaks, making proper sanitization one of the most important food safety practices in commercial kitchens.
What is Violation 06D?
Food contact surfaces not washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following contamination.
Clean and sanitize ALL food contact surfaces: After each use, Between different food types, Every 4 hours in continuous use, When contaminated. Use proper concentration sanitizer (50-100ppm chlorine, 200-400ppm quat). Air dry. Test sanitizer every 2 hours.
CDC Risk Factor: Contaminated Equipment - CDC Risk Factor #5
Which Boroughs See Violation 06D Most?
Restaurants Cited for Violation 06D (20,906 total)
Related Cleaning & Sanitization Violations
Violation 06D: Frequently Asked Questions
- What is violation 06D in NYC restaurants?
- Food contact surfaces not washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following contamination.
- How serious is violation 06D?
- Critical violation. BACTERIAL BUILDUP: Unsanitized surfaces harbor millions of bacteria within hours. Cross-contamination affects all food prepared on surface. Major cause of multi-victim outbreaks. Cutting boards can contain 200x more bacteria than toilet seats.
- How many NYC restaurants have been cited for violation 06D?
- 20,906 NYC restaurant inspections have included violation 06D, representing 18.9% of all inspections with violations.
- Which borough has the most violation 06D citations?
- Manhattan has the highest number of violation 06D citations among NYC boroughs.
- What must a restaurant do to fix violation 06D?
- Clean and sanitize ALL food contact surfaces: After each use, Between different food types, Every 4 hours in continuous use, When contaminated. Use proper concentration sanitizer (50-100ppm chlorine, 200-400ppm quat). Air dry. Test sanitizer every 2 hours.
- Is violation 06D a critical violation?
- Yes, violation 06D is a critical violation. Critical violations pose the most serious risk to public health and must be corrected immediately.