Dirty ice has become a big problem. At one time it might have been acceptable to believe that bacteria couldn’t survive the frigid temperatures of your ice merchandiser, but cold won’t kill all germs. It’s important to follow food safety protocol with ice in your restaurant. After all, ice is food! Some guidelines from the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe guide will help keep your ice cuber square with the health inspector.

Ice that will be consumed or used to chill food must be made from drinking water.  Ice used to chill food or beverages should never be used as an ingredient. Transporting ice is an important task. Ice transport equipment varies greatly in size and scope. There are small, ice buckets that are typically used in bars for chilling beer, wine or champagne. These come in a variety of different styles to match the theme of your décor. There are also larger, 6 gallon ice transport buckets, which have both a swinging top handle and a side handle, allowing you to easily carry the ice, but never forcing you to touch it with your hands.

Lastly, there are 125 lb. and 200 lb. wheeled ice transports, which are constructed without any metal to ensure that there is no contamination from rust or corrosion. They feature self-storing lids that allow for greater access to ice bin contents while preventing contamination.

Use a clean, sanitized container and ice scoop to transfer ice from an ice machine to other containers. Ice scoops protect against ice-borne illnesses and, when placed on a visible ice merchandiser, show the public that you and your business are dedicated to proper sanitation. Commercial-dishwasher-safe ice scoops come in 6 ounce,  16 ounce, 32 ounce, 64 ounce, and 85 ounce varieties. Plastic and aluminum varieties are available.  Scoops should be stored outside of the ice machine in a sanitary, protected location. Ice scoop holders, mounted near the ice machine, are the best way to ensure that everyone follows sanitary ice scoop storage procedures.