Food safety question (or confusion)

By now, you've probably heard Nhu' Lan is closed, at least temporarily, but if you haven't heard, here's a link: viewtopic.php?p=432660#p432660

The one item in the inspection report that confuses me concerns the reference to items not kept at proper temperature:

VARIOUS PACKAGED, COOKED POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS (PORK, RICE, EGG, SHRIMP, MUSHROOMS) ON DISPLAY COUNTER WITHOUT ANY TEMPERATURE HOLDING METHOD BEING APPLIED. FOODS AT IMPROPER TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 72.7F TO 126.4F.

What baffles me is the number of Asian restaurants/stores I can think of (which I won't name here, but 10 or so come to mind) selling the same or similar items, stored at similar temperatures (room essentially) . . . stores/restaurants I've been frequenting for years. Am I to believe that the city's food inspectors are so swamped or few in number that they just haven't visited these places? Now I've always though it odd that these places have meats/shrimp/etc. at room temperature, and yet I've consumed them countless times without concern, believing them fresh. So wondering where all this leads.

What the law states and how people comply to that law are two different things. Yes it's illegal to display/store food outside the temperature danger zone (40-140 degrees) but you can cool it within a window in time and still be compliant. American health code regulations do not take into consideration traditional Asian practices any more than it takes in European charcuterie methods. There was a time not so long ago that you couldn't get Parma prosuitto because of the method of aging. Those ducks and that pork hanging in the window in Chinatown are more than likely violations as well. Depends on the holding method and the inspector. I recently worked at a place that hadn't been inspected in over 3 yrs. When I'd point out violations to the owners, it was often met w/a shrug and filed for a later date. Rigorous enforcement by health code inspectors would take a workforce much greater than what the city budget allows, so some restauranteurs play the system knowing the chances are in their favor not to get caught.

Here's a little something more on the subject. http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2011/11/21/inspecting_chicagos_kitchens/