When using hot water to sanitize items in a 3-compartment sink, it is essential to follow the correct procedure to ensure that the items are adequately sanitized.
Here is the step-by-step process:
1. Preparation: Before sanitizing, ensure that the items have already gone through proper washing and rinsing in the first two compartments of the sink.
2. Temperature Requirement: The water used for sanitizing must be hot enough to kill bacteria and pathogens. For this purpose, the water temperature should be at least 170°F.
3. Submersion Duration: The items should be submerged in the hot water at 170°F for a specific minimum amount of time to ensure effective sanitization.
4. Answer Analysis:
- 2 seconds: This duration is too short to ensure proper sanitization.
- 2 minutes: This is longer than necessary but would effectively sanitize the items.
- 30 seconds: This is the correct duration for effective sanitization.
- 5 minutes: This duration is excessively long and not required.
Therefore, the correct answer is that the items should be submerged in water at least 170°F for a minimum of 30 seconds.
