Foodservice Experts Tell How To Avoid Serving Customers Unsanitary Ice

Bloomington, IL – FCSI-The Americas, the only consulting society dedicated to serving independent foodservice design and hospitality management professionals, has announced the results of the latest FCSI Consultant’s Crystal Ball Survey, which offers insight to good health and safety practices for maintaining and servicing ice machines.Who: FCSI-TA members were asked about what practices they suggest their clients follow when cleaning and servicing ice machines. The survey, conducted in late July and early August, and includes responses from 42 hospitality industry design and management consultants.

What: Foodservice providers should service their water and ice machines regularly and expressly according to manufacturer’s guidelines, according to findings of a survey of the foodservice and hospitality members of the Foodservice Consultant Society International-The Americas (FCSI-TA).

When: The July Crystal Ball Survey was launched July 2013 and data was collected and through August, 13, 2013.

Where: FCSI-The Americas headquarters, Bloomington, IL

Why: The survey was conducted in response to a recent investigation by the UK newspaper The Daily Mail into the sanitary conditions of ice from fast food restaurants. The newspaper's scientific tests found that all of the samples contained more bacteria than toilet water. Because of this, we wanted to hear from FCSI’s members on ways that restaurant operators can avoid having their ice machines become a sanitary hazard.

Survey responses included:

45.2% – We recommend that the equipment is serviced regularly, and expressly according to manufacturer’s guidelines   

19% – Treat with a water filter to manage taste and odor, and service the equipment is serviced regularly, and expressly according to manufacturer’s guidelines

11.9% – Treat with a water filter to manage taste and odor

11.9% – Not do anything, because ice machine is self-cleaning

7.2% – Treat with a water filter to manage taste and odor, and service the equipment regularly, and expressly according to manufacturer’s guidelines. Also clean the machine regularly to ensure good tasting water and ice.

4.8% – Other

*If you would like to receive a print-ready graphic of these results, and learn about the details offered in the “Other’ choices, please let us know and we will be glad to send it to you.

How: The July Crystal Ball Survey was distributed to members in the July FCSI-TA Direct Connection Newsletter on 7/29/13.

About FCSI-The Americas

For more than 50 years, FCSI-The Americas has served as the voice of independent foodservice and hospitality consultants, defining excellence in the development, execution and process flow implementation of commercial foodservice design and hospitality management. Visit the website at http://www.fcsi.org/?page=TALanding.

Source: FCSI-The Americas