by Casey Saenz, Environmental Health Specialist 3
I was conducting a routine inspection at a bar in my area this week, and I had to do a double take when I glanced inside this facility’s ice machine. The gallery above will give you a good idea of what I saw!
There are a couple of colors that I have never seen before in an ice machine. Just to give a quick summary: “Yikes!” Those are some scary pictures.
Please be sure to check the inside and outside of your ice machine on a routine basis. I check the ice machine during inspections by using the camera on my phone. I push the reverse symbol to flip the view and put the camera towards the top of the inside (avoiding contact with ice). Sometimes, I have to scoop out some of the ice to get enough clearance to view the top of the machine’s interior.
If you see that your ice machine needs cleaning, be sure to drain
it, take it apart, and clean it as applicable.
It’s always best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your ice
machine. If you can’t find the manufacturer’s
instructions, they are most likely free online if you do a Google search using
the make and/or model of the machine.
There are also ice machine cleaning companies that will do this for
you.
This was a violation under 4-2B, Food
Contact Surfaces and Utensils – Cleaning Frequency. Per Cobb County Code: Equipment
food-contact surfaces and utensils shall be cleaned: In equipment such as ice
bins and beverage dispensing nozzles and enclosed components of equipment such
as ice makers, cooking oil storage tanks and distribution lines, beverage and
syrup dispensing lines or tubes, coffee bean grinders, and water vending
equipment:
(I) At a frequency specified by the manufacturer; or
(II) Absent manufacturer specifications, at a frequency necessary to preclude
accumulation of soil or mold.
I am glad that I was able to catch this because now it has been brought to the manager’s attention and, hopefully, has prevented illness from occurring.
