What do you need to know the most about maintaining it? This article discusses the harmful consequences of dirty ice and how you can avoid it.
Food trucks, restaurants, and other establishments that serve beverages or food usually have an ice machine on board. You likely have a commercial ice maker if you have a food service establishment. So, what do you need to know the most about maintaining it? This article discusses the harmful consequences of dirty ice and how you can avoid it.
An Illness Threat
Ice isn’t cold enough to kill bacteria and viruses. So, you may still find harmful bacteria such as salmonella, cholera, listeria, E. coli, and more within the cubes if your water is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, any of these diseases can trigger severe sickness, threatening the community’s health with dirty ice cubes.
Bad Business Reputation
If your food establishment makes one person sick one time, that person will be cautious about coming to your business ever again. In addition, that person might tell other people about their experience and darken their perspective. Unfortunately, it could make news headlines if the disease becomes widespread, resulting in a bad business reputation for the restaurant.
Potential Lawsuits
Preventing sickness is a priority, but lawsuits are another possible consequence of illness caused by dirty ice cubes. These small pieces of ice could cause sufficient damage to make your business compensate an invalid party. This process can be costly, time-consuming, stressful, and preventable.
Commercial Ice Machine Maintenance
It’s possible to avoid the harmful consequences of dirty ice by constantly cleaning and maintaining your commercial ice machine. At least, food services should deep clean their ice machines four times yearly. However, businesses should clean their ice machines monthly to preserve cleanliness. Additionally, employees should practice excellent hygiene and avoid handling ice cubes with dirty hands. They should also avoid handling ice cubes when sick, coughing, or sneezing.
Moreover, avoid the ice coming in contact with anything that is unsanitized. So, how exactly do you clean a commercial ice machine? The basics are to clean the ice basin and use a cleaning solution throughout the ice-making cycle. Overall, it’s ideal to follow your ice machine manufacturer’s instructions.
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Since 1971, Pine Heights Commercial Kitchen Service, Inc., has been the leader in Commercial Kitchen Equipment Services in the greater Baltimore Metropolitan area. We specialize in Restaurant Equipment Repair Services, Commercial Refrigeration, Preventive Maintenance, in-shop repairs, and over-the-counter parts.
At Pine Heights, our motto is simple: “Quality Service for Less.” We provide the highest level of commercial maintenance for a competitive rate. We are veteran and family-owned and operated and located in Baltimore at 2900 West Patapsco Ave., Baltimore, MD 21230.
If you are ready for reliable Commercial Kitchen Equipment Services in Maryland, contact us today by phone, fax, or at our Baltimore location! Also, keep in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter!