If heated water is used to sanitize in a food-service style context (e.g., a three-compartment sink), the commonly referenced requirement is at least 171°F (about 77°C) for a minimum of 30 seconds of immersion.

Core temperature guideline

  • Many food-safety and ServSafe-style training resources state that for hot-water sanitizing (as opposed to chemical sanitizers), items must be immersed in water of at least 171°F for 30 seconds.
  • Some health-department documents describe similar ranges, noting at least 170–171°F with a 30‑second contact time for effective sanitization of utensils and dishes.

Why that specific temperature?

  • Bacteria that cause foodborne illness are rapidly inactivated at temperatures significantly above the “danger zone” of 41–140°F, and 171°F provides a strong safety margin when combined with time.
  • The 30‑second immersion requirement helps ensure all surfaces reach and maintain the target temperature long enough to achieve proper microbial kill.

Related hot-water sanitizing ranges

  • Some guidance for high-purity or industrial water systems cites 65–80°C (149–176°F) as an effective thermal sanitization range, but these are typically process-water systems rather than food-contact warewashing sinks.
  • For commercial dishwashers using hot water sanitizing, codes often call for final-rinse temperatures around 180°F , which ensures surfaces themselves reach roughly 160–170°F.

Direct fill-in answer to the prompt:
If heated water is used to sanitize, it must be at 171°F (about 77°C) for at least 30 seconds in typical food-service warewashing practice.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.