Sajj

Official wording

Approved thawing methods used; frozen food

Inspector’s notes

FOUND CHEESE BEING THAWED ON THE FOOD PREPARATION TABLE. [CA] FROZEN POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD SHALL ONLY BE THAWED IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING WAYS: 1) UNDER REFRIGERATION THAT MAINTAINS THE FOOD TEMPERATURE AT 41°F OR BELOW, 2) COMPLETELY SUBMERGED UNDER POTABLE RUNNING WATER FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED TWO HOURS AT A WATER TEMPERATURE OF 70°F OR BELOW, AND WITH SUFFICIENT WATER VELOCITY TO AGITATE AND FLUSH OFF LOOSE PARTICLES INTO THE SINK DRAIN, 3) IN A MICROWAVE OVEN, IF IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY IMMEDIATE PREPARATION, 4) AS A PART OF A COOKING PROCESS.

In plain English

Food was not kept cold enough, hot enough, cooled fast enough, or cooked or reheated to the right temperature. Bacteria grow quickly in the "danger zone" between 41°F and 135°F, which makes this one of the most important food-safety checks.