If you order soda, or ice water, with your dinner at a restaurant, you may be getting more than you asked for. The International Journal of Food Microbiology studied restaurant fountains of soda beverages and found these results:
Ninety beverages of three types (sugar sodas, diet sodas and water) were obtained from 20 self-service and 10 personnel-dispensed soda fountains, analyzed for microbial contamination, and evaluated with respect to U.S. drinking water regulations. A follow-up study compared the concentration and composition of microbial populations in 27 beverages collected from 9 soda fountain machines in the morning as well as in the afternoon. Ice dispensed from these machines was also examined for microbial contamination.
· none of the ice samples exceeded U.S. drinking water standards
· coliform bacteria was detected in 48% of the beverages
· 20% had a heterotrophic plate count greater than 500 cfu/ml.
Statistical analyses revealed no difference in levels of microbial contamination between beverage types or between those dispensed from self-service and personnel-dispensed soda fountains.
· More than 11% of the beverages analyzed contained Escherichia coli - Ecoli
· over 17% contained Chryseobacterium meningosepticum.
· Other opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms isolated from the beverages included species of Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, Stenotrophomonas, Candida, and Serratia.
· Most of the identified bacteria showed resistance to one or more of the 11 antibiotics tested.
These findings suggest that soda fountain machines may harbor persistent communities of potentially pathogenic microorganisms which may contribute to episodic gastric distress in the general population and could pose a more significant health risk to immunocompromised individuals. These findings have important public health implications and signal the need for regulations enforcing hygienic practices associated with these beverage dispensers.
coliform bacteria - Coliform bacteria are organisms that are present in the environment and in the feces of all warm-blooded animals and humans.
Chryseobacterium meningosepticum - It has generally been reported to cause outbreaks of meningitis predominantly in premature newborns and infants in neonatal intensive care units of underdeveloped countries. Some of the outbreaks have been linked to sources like contaminated lipid stock bottles, contaminated venous catheter lines and nutritional solution, and tap water. It is also a rare cause of nosocomial pneumonia, endocarditis, postoperative bacteremia, and meningitis in immunocompromised adults . Only recently it has also been reported to cause soft tissue infection and sepsis in the immunocompetent[8] and a case report of a fatal necrotizing fasciitis in a diabetic patient
Escherichia coli - Some kinds of E. coli can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses.
Klebsiella - The most common infection caused by Klebsiella bacteria outside the hospital is pneumonia. Klebsiella ranks second to E. coli for urinary tract infections in older persons. It is also an opportunistic pathogen for patients with chronic pulmonary disease, enteric pathogenicity, nasal mucosa atrophy, and rhinoscleroma. Feces are the most significant source of patient infection, followed by contact with contaminated instruments .
Staphylococcus - Staphylococcal food poisoning is an illness of the bowels that causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. It is caused by eating foods contaminated with toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Symptoms usually develop within one to six hours after eating contaminated food. The illness usually lasts for one to three days and resolves on its own. Patients with this illness are not contagious, since toxins are not transmitted from one person to another.
Candida - can cause infections (called candidiasis or thrush) in humans and other animals, especially in immunocompromised patients.
Serratia -Important as a nocosomial infection; associated with urinary and respiratory tract infections, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, septicemia, wound infections, eye infections, meningitis.
