1. (a) The operator of a food establishment shall ensure that food-contact surfaces are sanitized before use after washing and rinsing as follows:

   1. (1) for manual warewashing that uses hot water to sanitize, immersion for at least 30 seconds in clean water at a temperature of 170° F or above;

   2. (2) for mechanical warewashing that uses hot water to sanitize,

      1. (A) by being cycled through equipment that is designed, constructed, installed, and maintained as specified in 18 AAC 31.412;
      2. (B) by achieving a utensil surface temperature of 160° F or above at the end of the sanitizing cycle as measured by an irreversible registering temperature indicator; and

      3. (C) by maintaining the final rinse temperature of the fresh hot water sanitizing rinse as it enters the manifold at

         1. (i) not more than 194° F, except high pressure and temperature systems with wand-type, hand-held, spraying devices used for the in-place cleaning and sanitizing of equipment; and
         2. (ii) not less than the temperature specified in Table H in 18 AAC 31.423;
   3. (3) for manual or mechanical warewashing that uses chemicals to sanitize, including the application of sanitizing chemicals by immersion, manual swabbing, brushing, or pressure spraying methods using one of the sanitizing solutions specified in Table I of this section, or another approved exposure time used in relationship with a combination of temperature, concentration, and pH that yields sanitization.
   4. (b) If chemicals are used to sanitize, a test kit, test strips, or another device, such as a temperature measuring device, must be provided and used often to ensure compliance with the concentration and temperature specified in Table I of this section.

   TABLE I

   MANUAL AND MECHANICAL WAREWASHING

   CHEMICAL SANITIZER, EXPOSURE TIME, TEMPERATURE, pH,

   CONCENTRATION, HARDNESS

   Chemical Minimum

   Concentration

   (in ppm)

   Minimum

   Temperature

   (in °F) Exposure

   Time (in

   seconds) pH

   Maximum

   Hardness

   (in mg/l)

   Chlorine

   25

   120

   10

   10 or less

   n/a

   Chlorine

   50

   100

   7

   10 or less

   n/a

   Chlorine

   50

   75

   7

   8 or less

   n/a

   Chlorine

   100

   55

   10

   n/a

   n/a

   Iodine

   12.5 - 25

   75

   30

   5.0, or

   less,

   or no

   higher

   than level

   specified

   by manu-

   facturer

   n/a

   Quaternay

   Ammo-

   nium

   Compound

   As specified

   in 40 CFR

   180.940, ad-

   opted by ref-

   erence in 18

   AAC 31.011

   75

   30

   n/a

   500, or no

   greater

   than speci-

   fied by

   manufac-

   turer

   "n/a" means not applicable; "mg/l" means milligrams per liter

(Eff. 12/28/2006, Register 180)