Which combination constitutes sanitation?

• A. Chemicals, heat, and steam at 200°F for at least 5 minutes
• B. Only water
• C. Only chemicals at any concentration
• D. Dry heat at 300°F

Answer: (A)

Sanitation means reducing microbial contamination to safe levels by both cleaning away soil and applying a sanitizer. The option that combines a cleaning action with a sanitizing step using heat or steam and chemicals fits this idea best, because it addresses both removal of soil and killing microbes in one action. Water alone doesn’t remove soils or reliably kill germs, and chemicals by themselves without cleaning can leave organic matter that shields microbes. Dry heat at a high temperature is typically associated with sterilization rather than the broader, practical sanitation step described here. So using chemicals together with heat/steam for enough contact time provides the effective, integrated approach sanitation requires.