Ice – play it safe
Ice - Play It Safe
The fact that water is frozen does not make it any less vulnerable to germs and dirt. EHOs apply the same bacteria swab tests as they do to food. Letting ice get contaminated, either by leaving it accessible to customers for long periods without adequate supervision, or by operating equipment which is insufficiently clean, lays you open to prosecution.
Contamination can occur inside icemakers for various reasons - faulty materials, dirt ingress and back-siphonage of waste water.
Water industry approval in the shape of a WRc logo covers external connection to mains and drain services and internal materials which come in contact with the water and ice, with machines assessed for their ability to prevent water being contaminated, misused and wasted.
Follow manufacturer's recommendations for regular sanitising procedures. And ensure that drainage is adequate to deal with the discharge of melt and surplus water.
Hands-fee dispensers, which can be integrated with drink dispense heads, can help reduce risks of bacterial contamination.
Impurities and hardness in the water supply can reduce output and push up running costs as well as causing breakdowns. It's worth having your water supply checked and if necessary have pre-machine water treatment systems installed.
