What must be done with sanitized items in a food facility?

The correct answer emphasizes the importance of inspecting sanitized items for cleanliness before they are put to use. This step is essential in maintaining food safety standards and ensuring that no contamination occurs after the sanitization process. Inspecting items helps to confirm that they remain free from physical debris, residues, or microbial contamination, which might have occurred during handling, storage, or transportation.

Although sanitized items are treated to reduce or eliminate harmful microorganisms, they can still become re-contaminated if not handled properly. Therefore, thorough inspection serves as an additional safeguard to ensure the integrity of the sanitation process and guarantees that the items meet health and safety regulations before being used in food preparation or service.

In contrast, storing sanitized items away immediately without inspection might overlook potential contamination that can compromise food safety. Using them immediately without checks could expose food to unsafe conditions if the items were inadvertently contaminated after sanitization. Simply covering them with a cloth does not ensure that they remain uncontaminated; it may restrict airflow and create an environment conducive to microbial growth. Thus, inspecting sanitized items is a critical step in the HACCP process to uphold food safety standards.