How to Keep Ice Clean & Safe

A recent investigation by Daily Mail uncovered a dirty truth: The ice found in drinks from some of our favorite fast food joints could be contaminated with high levels of bacteria.

The study took a look at ten restaurants in Britain, including McDonald's, Burger King and Starbucks. Six of the eateries contained more bacteria than water found in toilets, and four had enough microbes to be considered a hygiene risk.

How could this be? Experts point to insufficient ice machine maintenance and care.

Here's how to make sure you business's ice is safe to serve:

• Make sure you're properly cleaning ice machines and ice bins
• Establish a regular cleaning and sanitizing routine
• Practice clean ice-handling habits
• Store all ice scoops in an uncontaminated location
• Clean, rinse and disinfect ice scoops once every four hours
• Change water filters according to the manufacturer's instructions

Is your business's ice machine in dire need of repair or replacement? East Coast Refrigeration specializes in commercial ice machines, ice storage and commercial ice delivery systems.

We are a warranty service provider for all of our brand partners, including Vogt, Manitowoc and Scotsman. Give us a call at (631) 249-4556 to learn more!

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