What sanitizing solution concentration is recommended for a mass feeding center (chlorine bleach per gallon of water)?

• A. 0.5 Tablespoons chlorine bleach per gallon of water
• B. 0.5 Teaspoons chlorine bleach per gallon of water
• C. 0.5 Tbs chlorine bleach per 1 gallon of water
• D. 1 cup chlorine bleach per gallon of water

Answer: (C)

In mass feeding centers, the goal is to use a chlorine solution with about 50–200 ppm of free chlorine to sanitize food-contact surfaces effectively without being overly harsh. Using typical household bleach (about 5.25% sodium hypochlorite), mixing half a tablespoon per gallon of water yields a sanitizing solution close to 100 ppm.

Here's why: half a tablespoon is 7.5 milliliters. The bleach adds roughly 0.0525 g per milliliter, so about 0.39375 g of NaOCl is added to the gallon. A gallon is 3.785 liters, so the final concentration is 0.39375 g / 3.785 L ≈ 0.104 g/L, which is 104 mg/L or about 104 ppm. This falls in the recommended sanitizing range and is safe for typical mass feeding center use when surfaces stay wet for the required contact time (usually about 1 minute).

The other options would produce too low or too high concentrations: a smaller amount yields insufficient sanitizing power, while a larger amount creates excessively high chlorine levels that can be corrosive and hazardous. Therefore, half a tablespoon per gallon is the best choice.