Slime build-up in ice machines can cause serious illness. Cleaning & sanitizing ice machines should be done four times per year. It's probably on your list of things to do, but is it at the bottom?
The types of Germs that have been found in ice machines include Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, Shigella and the Norwalk virus. The bacteria creates a biofilm by secreting a polymer which protects it. This biofilm is the slime that you may find in your ice machine. The worse it gets, the uglier it is. Usually you will see a pink slime, but if not properly sanitized, it will continue to grow and it can turn to red, green, brown and even black ropes of slime hanging from the inside of the ice machine.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:
- Running the cleaning cycle on the ice machine will not remove this bacteria.
- Older people & younger children are the most susceptible to illness caused by bacteria in your ice maker.
- Additionally, ice produced by machines which are not maintained properly can have an “off” taste which affects the taste of the carbonated and mixed drinks that you offer to your customers.
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Contact us and we’ll quote you a preventative maintenance contract rate to have your ice machines cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis. Give us a call today to get started! 1-888-JAY-HILL (529-4455)
*References from the Ice Man Newsletter, Michigan & the Houston Dept of Health.
