Final answer:
The sanitizing temperature for mechanical dishwashing is 200°F (93°C), which ensures that dishes are sanitized by killing most microbes. This temperature is part of wider temperature guidelines and practices to ensure public health through the control of microbial growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sanitizing temperature for mechanical dishwashing to disinfect is 200°F (93°C). Sanitization ensures that enough microbes are removed to reach levels considered safe for public health. Sanitizing dishes effectively in a commercial dishwasher requires high temperatures, which are sufficient to kill most microbes.
This is in line with the broader principle that thorough cooking of food, which involves reaching an internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F), is necessary to kill bacteria it may contain.
Moreover, standard operating temperatures for autoclaves, which sterilize equipment, are much higher, often at 121°C or higher, to ensure complete sterilization including the killing of resistant endospores.