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Health experts prove fecal bacteria in ice cubes
If you travel to distant lands, you are often advised to abstain from eating certain foods or drinks with ice cubes. Due to a lack of hygienic circumstances, other health risks threatened. Obviously, you do not have to travel so far: chemists in Switzerland have found increased amounts of pathogens in every fourth ice cube.
A quarter of Swiss ice cubes burdened with germs
Before you go to exotic countries, you usually get the advice to be careful with certain foods and drinks. Thus, guides or experienced travelers like to avoid fresh salads or peeled fruit, as otherwise would threaten health risks such as abdominal pain or diarrhea. Also, drinks with ice cubes are often warned because they may not have been produced under hygienic conditions. Obviously, you do not have to go on long-haul trips to avoid such risks: According to a new study, around every fourth ice cube in Switzerland is burdened with pathogens.
In about a quarter of all ice cubes in Switzerland increased amounts of pathogens have been found. (Image: Tim UR / fotolia.com) "Unhygienic production of ice cubes"
As the Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick reports, cantonal chemists collected samples of ice cubes in restaurants, bars and canteens in a nationwide campaign. The results will be presented in the next quarter, but the newspaper seems to have already received results. According to the newspaper, 26 percent of all ice cubes fell through. It is said that their "microbiological quality" did not meet the legal requirements. The microbiologists found that excessive amounts of Pseudomonas bacteria that can cause infections, and fecal bacteria such as enterococci or E. coli bacteria, also potent pathogens: "A clear sign of unhygienic production of ice cubes," says Otmar Deflorin, President of the Association of Cantonal Chemists.
Company responsible for increased amounts of bacteria
When increased levels of bacteria are discovered, the company is responsible for getting to the root of the contamination and eliminating it. The producer also bears the costs for further analyzes. "In serious cases, we will file a criminal complaint," said Deflorin. However, this has never happened before because of contaminated ice cubes, because "the values found do not endanger the health," said the expert. Deflorin is also the head of the Cantonal Laboratory Bern. There, the complaint rate was 29 percent "about the same as in the nationwide campaign".
Machines should be cleaned properly
According to the report of the "SonntagsBlick", the germs sometimes migrate into the ice cubes via soiled scooping devices. Or by polluted water, from which they were made. The main reason for the contamination said Deflorin, "that the ice cream machine itself is not properly cleaned and maintained." Apparently nobody feels responsible in many companies. "Especially when the ice machines - as often encountered - in the basement." Also, scientists from Spain have recently pointed to the importance of cleaning machines in the production or preparation of food. For example, many Nespresso coffee makers are bacterially contaminated, as they are not cleaned often enough.
For weakened people it could be dangerous
Sarah Stalder, Director of the Consumer Protection Foundation, sees the current Swiss results as a cause for concern: "Especially in people with weakened immune systems, these bacteria can lead to severe gastrointestinal diseases." She said: "Abroad Always be careful with ice cream. But in Switzerland you would never expect that every fourth ice cube is above the limit. "The consumer advocate demanded a change of practice in the catering industry. "The normal case must be that you explicitly ask for ice cubes for your drink. And not that they end up in the glass automatically. "
Pathogens in unusual places
According to the president of the industry association GastroSuisse, Casimir Platzer, the results of the investigation are "unpleasant". However, he emphasized that the measured values were not harmful to health and said: "In any case, I am not aware of any diseases that are due to the consumption of a drink with ice cubes." Although it sounds very shocking at first, also show other scientific studies that potentially pathogenic germs are found almost everywhere. For example, a US research team has found fecal bacteria in beards. As the scientists wrote, they detected microorganisms that "are normally only found in toilets." (Ad)