Contaminated ice in Chicagoland restaurants & bars

[Alex]

Chicago Sun-Times story here

In a test of ice cubes from 49 fast-food and casual-dining restaurants and hotel bars in the city and suburbs, the Chicago Sun-Times found that more than one of every five samples contained high levels of bacteria.

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Ice from 11 restaurants or bars had high levels of "total coliform bacteria" -- more than 200 bacteria colonies per milliliter tested.

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Drinking-water standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandate average levels of less than one colony of coliform bacteria per milliliter.

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Ice...usually isn't tested by the Chicago Health Department. Few health departments test ice because of the expense.

[Chris Amirault]

Yet another reason -- as if Chicagolanders need another -- to drink liquid only at the Violet Hour.

[SundaySous]

Some high school student here in Chicago did a similar study maybe two years ago. The results sound roughly the same. She also tested bathroom sinks and I think toilets. I remember it being on the television news. They asked a couple of employees at one of the fast food places how often the ice dispenser is sanitized? The look on their faces was like never.

I've seen the self serve ice machines at fast food places filled by hand from a bucket. Now that you mention it I wonder what else they use that bucket for.

Wouldn't be too alarmed by this. I'm guessing this has been the case ever since there were ice machines.

Be interesting to test door knobs in your own home for bacteria. When was the last time you cleaned your own door knob? In public I tend to avoid using a door knob, handle whatever. I think my grand mother got me doing that.

I'm probably the obsessive one about this. She worked as a nurse bringing up six kids and probably didn't want to bring her work home with her.