Fast food toilets cleaner than ice machines

by Nick Vagnoni, Posted Feb 15th 2006 @ 8:42PM

A seventh grader from Tampa recently won her school science fair with an experiment that compared levels of bacteria in the toilets and ice machines of five different fast food restaurants. According to 12-year-old Jasmine Roberts, the toilets contained less bacteria 70 percent of the time. For the toilet samples, Roberts flushed each toilet and then scooped up some water with a sterile beaker. For the ice, she took samples from machines inside the restaurants as well as from ice ordered at each drive-through window. The samples were tested at Tampa's Moffitt Cancer Center where Roberts volunteers. The video that accompanies the story has footage of a graph comparing the bacteria in toilets versus ice. Some of the differences are vast. Unfortunately, Roberts doesn't disclose the names of the restaurants.

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Filed Under: Science, Drink Recipes, Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants
Tags: america, bacteria, fast food, florida, ice, machine, science project, soda, soft drinks, southern states, tampa, water

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Reader comments (Page 5 of 5)

3-05-2006 @10:06PM Sherrie said... Great job with this science fair project. It captures the true essence of science--- to wonder, ask questions, seek the answers,and present your data for others to consider and/or apply.

This experiment, while not Nobel material, is worthy of all the positive accolades it receives for this young lady.I predict that one day she will receive a Nobel for her curious nature. You go girl!!!!

We should be wary of what we consume and it just goes to show that if you didn't prepare it yourself, you take a risk every time to eat out.

Would you rather have had her experiment be about how to manufacture dangerous recreational drugs from say, Kool-Aid or Sunny-D???
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3-08-2006 @6:57AM Aimee said... I am very impressed by this young lady and her project. Most kids her age are trying to do science fair projects on which brand of kleenex is beter. But she did a project that truly had an impact on her community and the news. It doesnt surprise me at what she found. I work in a fast food resturaunt in GA and honestly cleaning the entire fountain area is the least of worries. (which kind of shocks me and I clean it when Im there). Any one who works in a fast food resturaunt knows all of the little secrets that a common person would not know. And anyone who eats at these places will never admit to eating there after they find out the results. (even though they still go there on the regular.) I for one believe it is not a life or death concerning issue. BUT it does open the yes of the businesses to now "we caught you and we're gonna tell everyone". Maybe they will stop letting the drink machine slide before it gets as bad as bugs in you burgers. It sucks that she wont say who she tested. But its very respectful of her. Its good to know some kids out there still want to work hard for an easy grade. Please pat this young'n on the back.
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3-09-2006 @11:02AM Ron said... To those dissing on the 7th grader's study, of course any scientific study must be repeated, by a seperate researcher, to verify the validity of the results. I give high accolades to the fact that it was an excellent science fair project idea!

I strongly concur with the previous post saying that the results are "absolutely no surprise. All one has to do is look at the quality of the workers in fast food joints and decuce what the qualty of the environment will be like." I have looked at "the quality" of minimum wage employees at our local McDee's, Taco Bell, Burger King, etc. and give those eateries a wide bearth as I pass quickly by them.

Have all of you watched the movie "Supersize Me"? It is a documentary that will stop any thinking person cold in their tracks about the fast food industry.

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3-13-2006 @6:08PM butch said... Keeping the moment light; How'bout putting the ice in the toilet!!
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3-22-2006 @12:52PM LEIGH ANN BOLEN said... You all are missing a piece of the puzzle. There is a regular, posted cleaning schedule (Pretty sure this is a Health Code requirement). However, I don't recall any mention of cleaning out the ice machines. In my multiple adventures into food service, wiping down the drink machine was part of the machine, but basically that ends up being a quick wipe down of the surface and a complimentary swipe around the drink nozzles. Even if the eatery had multiple drink dispensers, I never ever saw a machine down for cleaning,i.e. the ice container part. It's always full of ice, so I don't doubt there is bacteria in there. However, I think the biggest source of bacteria is in the individual spouts of each beverage. Every time it was my turn to clean the fountain, I took out the nozzle of each drink, which would always contain green slime. The nozzles were wiped off on the outside frequently, but never inside, where the constant drip of beverage combine with the air, created a lovely green-black slime. If you thought about it, you probably wouldn't order a fountain soda. That said, you have a much better change of getting sick from the food, than an iced soda fountain drink. Just my opinion.

LEIGH ANN
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