Focus on ice safety as study shows evidence of faecal contamination

In the recent hot weather, many of us will have opted for an iced cold drink at some point. Rather disturbingly, a recent investigation carried out by the BBC has uncovered that ice from three of the UK's biggest coffee chains has been found to contain bacteria from faeces.

Seven out of ten samples of Costa ice were found to be contaminated with bacteria found in faeces.

At both Starbucks and Caffe Nero, three out of 10 samples tested contained the bacteria known as faecal coliforms.

This highlights the need for strict cleaning procedures within any operation serving ice in drink and food. By following basic fundamentals of food hygiene, the risk of contamination of ice will be greatly reduced:

• Ensure that strict hand washing procedures are enforced among the food handling team
• The cleaning of the ice machine needs to be included in the cleaning schedule. Verification checks need to be signed off by management
• The ice scoop needs to be stored in a sanitiser solution. Remember that the ice scoop is also a hand contact surface and must not be stored directly in ice.

If you need help or advice on ice machine cleanliness please don’t hesitate to contact us for a chat

Source

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40426228