Milk and milk products must be pasteurized with sell-by dates of 9 days or ultra-pasteurized with sell-by dates of 45 days.
All fruits and vegetables served raw must be thoroughly washed before being served.
Canned products must be rejected if there are dents at the seam, swelling, severe rust, leakage or no label. Home canned foods are also unacceptable. (exception: slight dent on the body of the can)
All commercial modified atmosphere packaged foods must be used per manufacture specifications.
Vacuum Packaging of any food product in a retail food establishment is prohibited by law unless special authorization is obtained through the Department of Health.
The acronym FIFO means First In First Out, and the first step in implementing FIFO is to date the products.
The New York City Health code requires that all food items must be stored at least 6 inches off the floor.
In order to prevent cross-contamination, raw foods in a refrigerator must be stored below cooked foods.
Cold temperatures slow down the growth of microorganisms.
All cold foods must be held at 41°F or below (except smoked fish at 38°F) at all times.
Keep dry storage areas well lighted and ventilated.
Never store foods under waste water lines.
Food for storage must be kept covered and stored in vermin-proof containers.
Ice intended for human consumption cannot be used for storing cans, bottles or other food products.
When foods are stored directly in ice, the water from that ice must be drained constantly.
"First Aid Choking" poster must be displayed conspicuously in each designated eating area.
Food establishments which serve alcoholic beverages are required to display the "Alcohol and Pregnancy Warning" sign.
A "Wash Hands" sign must be displayed at all hand washing sinks.
“No smoking” signs must be displayed throughout each facility.
There are three main hazards to our health in a food establishment: physical, chemical and biological.
The presence of a foreign object (glass fragments, pieces of metal, etc.) in a food is considered a physical hazard.
Presence of harmful chemicals (pesticide, cleaning agents, prescription medicine etc.) in a food is called a chemical hazard.
Biological hazard is the presence of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi) in the food.