SCOOP OR POOP? Danger, Danger, Icebucket!
Hubbard shows how to handle ice safely
Ice hygiene has hit the news yet again, as a survey in Northamptonshire found that more than half the ice cubes in pubs, otels and restaurants were contaminated with dirt or bacteria. In previous surveys contamination has been found to include races of human urine and faeces and a spokesman for the latest report confirmed that 'what we found suggests people are not ashing their hands after going to the toilet.' Ice is officially classed as a food and contamination is a serious business: fines or closure for the owner, not to mention the danger to the customer.
And the single most likely cause of the contamination? People using hands to pick up ice, instead of a scoop.
Chris Davis is Commercial Director of Hubbard Ice Systems, distributors of the market-leading Scotsman range of ice machines. He points out that it's not the machines that are at fault, it's the way the ice is handled - and the solution is plain, old fashioned common sense. But he admits he's getting tired of repeating himself: "We've been banging on about hygiene for ten years," he says. "The problem would be eliminated if bars just follow a few simple guidelines."
Chris's team at Hubbard have revised their guidelines, making them as easy to follow as possible. Here's their latest version, applying to ice (and ice makers) in the catering and leisure markets.
There are only four key guidelines for ice handling:
- Scoop, scoop, scoop USE A SCOOP! (Or tongs). Never use hands to pick up ice, even if you've just washed. And never, ever use a glass: it's incredibly dangerous. (Have you ever noticed that glass looks like ice? A single sliver of glass can cause enormous damage to the average human throat).
- Only Ice and nothing but... Never store anything except ice in the ice storage bin, anything else could cause contamination.
- Shut that lid! Always keep the storage bin lid of the ice machine closed when not in use.
- No customers allowed! Don't let customers help themselves to ice: you don't know where they've been!
Aside from handling the ice itself, Chris's team offers these guidelines on cleaning and hygiene:
- Regularly clean and sanitise all equipment that comes into contact with the ice - ice buckets, scoops, tongs etc.
- Before cleaning the storage bin turn the machine off and empty it, discarding any ice.
- Always follow the icemaker's cleaning and maintenance instructions. Normally these will be simple and straightforward and take only a few moments each week. If you've lost them, get on to your dealer or the manufacturer and ask for a copy.
Says Chris: "If in doubt, ask! Talk to your supplier or the machine's manufacturer. Companies such as Hubbard will be happy to offer advice, indeed we provide hygiene training, covering, amongst other things, good ice handling, and every machine is supplied with full cleaning instructions."
Hubbard supplies laminated hygiene guides for its icemakers, which can be kept safely by the machine for reference and are wipe clean. Most reputable suppliers should offer a similar service to customers.
Chris also suggests an hygienic alternative to the traditional ice maker is a combined icemaker/dispenser, such as the Scotsman TC180 or the Scotsman CD40, both of which store the ice safely, dispensing it on demand, either by push-button or 'magic eye'.
