Staying Clean--The Road to Ice Contamination Recovery

There are many factors that determine the purity of the ice served in your restaurant. Employee cleanliness, water cleanliness, and proper water filter changes are essential. However, these requirements can be neglected in food service environments, leading to bacterial contamination, illness, and an overall gross-out factor.

Don’t fret; KaTom is here to ensure that you don’t get caught in a dirty ice scandal of your own.

Wash Your Hands, Wash Your Hands, Wash Your Hands... For Real

Employers know that the main way to keep any sort of contamination from happening in a kitchen is to require employees to wash hands after using the restroom, handling food, or touching his face or other surfaces that can contain germs.

Although this is the oldest and seemingly simplest of golden rules in the restaurant business, it seems to be continually neglected.

In 2006, a 12 year old girl’s science experiment brought forth a new fast food threat that had nothing to do with Trans fat. Jasmine Roberts, according to ABC news, collected ice samples from five different restaurants in South Florida. She then collected toilet water samples from the same restaurant and tested them for bacteria levels at the University of South Florida.

Her results were astounding. 70% of the time, the ice was more contaminated than the toilet water. The ice in these machines contained coliform, bacteria whose presence suggests that fecal pathogens may be present. The most common of the coliform found in the ice—Escherichia coli or E coli, a well know enemy of the human stomach.

Two years later, February 2008, 13 investigators from NBC’s WTHR in Indianapolis, tested ice samples from 25 bars and restaurants in the Indianapolis area. Of the 25 establishments tested, 13 had at least one ice sample that contained coliform bacteria.

WTHR’s toilet water tested with a coliform bacteria level of 2, while some restaurant’s levels reached readings that declared 488 colonies of coliform bacteria were living in one cup of ice.

Research in both studies suggested that the bacteria’s transporter was… dirty employee hands.

Disgusting? Yes. Avoidable? Absolutely.

Want To Get Clean?

Hand washing and adherence to safety codes involving ice scoops can avoid these problems in your restaurant. San Jamar makes an amazing line of Saf-T ice scoops that have a guard to ensure that hands stay away from ice.

WTHR states, “Last year, local health inspectors cited dozens of central Indiana restaurants for critical health violations after they found the insides of their ice machines to be "dirty," "soiled," "rusted," "slimy" and/or "covered in residue." They found ice contaminated by buckets, plastic cups and ice scoops stored in the ice where they don't belong.”

Have regular meetings with employees about these potential dangers. They will be concerned as most employees who work in a restaurant eat at least one meal a day from their place of employment.

What About Changing My Water Filter?

Depending on amount of water usage and water quality, an ice machine filter should be changed at least every six months. Most restaurants should change theirs every 3 months. When water pressure and flow to the ice machine drop, or ice begins to cloud or taste different, the filter should be immediately replaced.

Replacing your filter also ensures that rust, sediment, chemicals, or bacteria do not get into your ice from the water source. KaTom carries the ice machine filters your restaurant needs to stay purified.

You Can Stay On the Wagon, We Believe in You

KaTom has the San Jamar water testers, ice scoops, and other safe sanitizing products you need to get on the right track. Check out our electronic faucets to keep hand washing “hands free” in the kitchen. Give us a call at 1-800-541-8683 to find out more about , sanitizing, and overall restaurant ice and water safety.