Are you used to drinking your favorite drink or soda with some ice cubes? Maybe outside the home you should avoid it. Here’s the creepy reason why you should never ask for ice at the bar.
What is hidden in the ice
You would never think ice could be dangerous. After all, isn’t it just frozen water? What can ever hide from it? Actually, viruses and bacteria can lurk in the ice. If there are pathogens in the water used to make the ice, they will not be destroyed by the freezing process. These microorganisms can, in fact, not only survive in the ice, but also multiply there.
Also, other viruses and bacteria can contaminate the ice cubes when you don’t take care to keep the ice maker surfaces and filters clean. Or, if you don’t protect and clean the containers in which the ice is stored. There are those who think that at least drinks are safe from contamination, because alcohol kills bacteria. But that’s not the case: a study showed that Shigella, Salmonella and E. Coli quietly survive on scotch and tequila. Here is the disturbing reason why you should never ask for ice at the bar.
Bars that do not comply with health regulations
Day bars consume 58,000 tons of ice each year. 25,000 tons instead used by restaurants. But are we sure that the rules for making ice safely are respected? Unfortunately, this is often not the case. This is what the INGA, or the National Institute of Food Ice, points out. In 2019, the institution had, in fact, found that, almost everywhere, several small and medium-sized enterprises had not passed the checks.
In Sicily, for example, a study by INGA showed that 56% of the ice used by commercial premises is contaminated. The study concerned the coastal area of Palermo, where one in four places would serve unsafe ice. The dangers to health mainly concern the most vulnerable, namely children and the elderly.
Deepening
There are many unsuspected foods in which bacteria and parasites lurk. Here what you risk if you eat poke.
