A sick or symptomatic employee present, or staff unaware of when illness bars them from working with food.
Floors, walls, ceilings, or attached equipment dirty, damaged, or poorly vented.
Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.
Plumbing not installed or maintained properly — leaks, mop sink issues, unserviced water filters, or missing backflow prevention.