After each use, what two actions must be performed on food contact surfaces?

• A. Sanitized; Cleaned
• B. Cleaned; Dried
• C. Cleaned; Sanitized
• D. Washed; Air-Dried

Answer: (C)

In food safety, surfaces that touch food should go through two steps after each use: cleaned and then sanitized. Cleaning removes visible and hidden soils, fats, and proteins, which can shield bacteria and reduce how well a sanitizer works. Sanitizing then reduces the remaining microorganisms to safe levels. If you skip cleaning and sanitize first, soils can prevent the sanitizer from doing its job and potentially contaminate food. Drying alone doesn’t eliminate microbes, and calling something “washed” doesn’t guarantee the proper sanitizing step is actually applied. So, the correct sequence is to clean first, then sanitize, following the sanitizer’s label for proper contact time and concentration.