A sick or symptomatic employee present, or staff unaware of when illness bars them from working with food.
Dish machine or sinks not set up or working properly, or missing sanitizer test kit and gauges.
Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.
Clean equipment and utensils stored improperly or not air-dried.
High-risk food (like meat) thawed improperly, promoting bacterial growth.
Scoops and other in-use utensils stored improperly (e.g. handle down in the food).
Food-contact or nonfood-contact surfaces improperly designed, constructed, maintained, or located.
Dirty wiping cloths not stored in sanitizer, or soiled linens handled improperly.