Thursday, February 23, 2006

In case you thought it couldn't get grosser

Jasmine found that in four of the five restaurants, the ice that came from
the self-serve machines had more bacteria than the toilet water. Three of the
five cups of ice from the drive-through windows had more bacteria than the
toilet water.
Of the bacteria found in the ice, three out of the five
restaurants tested positive for fecal coliform or E. coli, organisms that come
from the feces of warm-blooded animals.
Health symptoms related to the presence of coliform include cramps and diarrhea. E. coli can cause intestinal illness and, in rare cases, hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney
condition.
Jasmine offers several theories for the contamination.
"The machine may not be cleaned properly, or it comes from someone touching the ice
with their hands," she said.
Galina Tuninskaya, vice president of Applied Consumer Services, a private lab that tests drinking water, said the standard for drinking water is usually 100 colony-forming units of bacteria per
milliliter. The highest amount Jasmine found was 54 units in ice from a
self-serve machine.

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