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Cleaning Your Ice Machine
How often should your machine(s) be cleaned?
If you make your own ice, your machine must be properly maintained and sanitary, and your water source must be safe. It is not just common sense ... it is the law! The Federal Food Code is the standard. Chapter 1 part 1-201.10 defines Ice as food. This subjects ice to the same handling and cleanliness standards as everything else including manufacturing equipment. Ice itself falls under 40CFR141 governing drinking water purity. Ice machine cleaning is governed by Food Law 2009 Chapter 4 part 602.11 section (E) item (4a and b) which states that the machines must be "at a frequency specified by the manufacturer". i.e. Manitowac (which ranges from 2 - 4 times per year) or "at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil or mold", (which realistically should be at LEAST every 6 months). Ice machine sanitizing is governed by Chapter 4 part 702.11 which states that their surfaces must be sanitized after each cleaning. Annex 7 Form 2A, section 5 states: Federal law provides under the Criminal Fine Enforcement Act of 1984 for a fine up to $100,000 for a misdemeanor by a corporation or individual not resulting in death and, for misdemeanors resulting in death, a fine of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations.
The bottom line ... cleaning and sanitizing your ice machine on a regular basis is required by law.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that users of commercial ice-making machines follow the manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning and sanitizing the machines.
Also, the water in Kansas and Missouri is rich in minerals, especially lime, and buildup can seriously decrease the speed of your ice production while increasing energy consumption.
Can your Ice make you sick?
What are Biofilms:
Biofilms are a collection of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, growing together in a matrix of polymers secreted by the microorganisms. Once microbes grow into well-developed biofilms, cleaning and sanitation become much more difficult. Biofilms have a shielding effect on the bacterial cells within them, and normal cleaning and sanitizing methods may not eliminate them. Biofilms MUST be removed or prevented from forming on surfaces.
Disease-producing bacteria, including Listeria, can be 1,000 times harder to eliminate if it is living in a protective biofilm. Biofilms can be very difficult to remove from surfaces, and are known to have an increased biocidal resistance due to the biofilm structure protecting the microorganisms. Biofilms can be a continual source of pathogenic and spoilage organisms if not completely removed. Spoilage organisms such as Pseudomonas grow in biofilms and can be sloughed off during production, contaminate the food, and accelerate spoilage. The polymers secreted by the bacteria close to the surface are strong adhesives making the cells very difficult to remove.
From the JIFSAN Good Aquacultural Practices Manual Section 9–Effective Cleaning and Sanitizing Procedures. Copyright © 2007 University of Maryland and the JohnsonDiversey Corporation
Just running the cleaning cycle on your machine is not enough. Advanced Ice Machine Service will remove and manually clean biofilm from the parts that automated cleaning does not reach.
People Really DO get sick
In one incident alone, over 5,000 people fell ill from the norovirus after consuming contaminated ice. Just because ice is frozen, doesn't mean it cannot contain harmful bacteria or viruses. You can get very sick from contaminated ice. In fact, at the University of Texas, Salmonella, E. coli, and Shigella all survived in a study of ice cubes mixed with a cola drink, scotch and water, or 85 proof tequila! Viruses also survive in ice cubes, so our food borne illness leader, the noroviruses (the famous Norwalk virus), can wreak havoc in the frozen crystals.
Samples from nearly 50 restaurants and hotel bars in Chicago (Dec 2007), found nearly 20 percent had high levels of fecal contamination. Water samples taken from a restroom toilet showed less bacterial contamination than the ice from 21 of the restaurants and bars sampled.
When ice machines are inspected, it is clear that many are not cleaned and sanitized very often, if ever. Mold and slime build up inside them, bacteria grows and your ice becomes contaminated. Numerous studies show that dirty, contaminated ice is more common than people think.
Can your ice machine be draining your pockets?
Mineral, lime and mold Build Up Can Cause Poor Ice Machine Performance.
The water in Kansas and Missouri is rich in minerals, especially lime. buildup can seriously decrease the speed of your ice production and increase energy consumption.
A large number of ice machines serviced by repair companies only needed a good cleaning.
A regular cleaning schedule can keep your machine running at maximum efficiency.
We recommend installing a filter system. This is an important, but often overlooked, investment.
In time, this condition may warrant a costly service call that is not covered under the manufacturer's warranty (this is considered normal preventative maintenance).
In addition, chemical impurities in your water supply can dull the taste of your ice as well as your beverage business. Don’t wait - contact Advanced Ice Machine Service today!