Dont slip up over ice

Making sure your pub has an unfailing supply of ice is, of course, even more important during these warmer months. But you must never forget that, under law, ice counts as a foodstuff and is therefore covered by Food Safety Regulations.

These demand that ice must be made, stored and handled so that it is not contaminated. Contamination from micro-organisms, chemicals, dirt, food or pests can happen at several stages between water entering your ice-making machine and the iced drink being served to customers, so conscientious maintenance is necessary.

Hoshizaki, one of the world's largest manufacturers of ice makers, offers licensees the following guide to hygienic ice.

Siting

• A good supplier will advise on the best position for your machine. However, in general it should be a clean, well ventilated room, free of dust and dirt and away from obvious forms of contamination such as cleaning chemicals, foodstuffs and rubbish.

Servicing

• The machine should be serviced according to the manufacturer's recommendation - usually twice a year. This is especially important in hard water areas as scale tends to harbour bacteria.

Maintenance

• At least once every two weeks all ice should be thrown away and the ice bin cleaned and sanitised with a suitable taint-free product and then rinsed with fresh water.
• If you spot mould or slime it's a sign that your cleaning regime has not been sufficiently thorough and you must put that right straight away.
• All accessible surfaces of the machine - both inside and outside - must be cleaned with an anti-bacterial cleaner on a daily basis.
• Items such as ice buckets, scoops, and tongs must be cleaned and disinfected daily.

Handling

• Staff should wash their hands before attempting to scoop out ice and the proper implements must be used. A glass is frequently substituted but can pose a real danger if it breaks.
• The scoop should be kept in a safe, clean place so it is only touched by staff with clean hands. In any event, the handle should not be in contact with the ice.
• Staff should never collect ice with bare hands.
• The ice bin must never be used to cool bottles or foods.
• The door should be closed at all times other than when ice is being collected.
• If ice is kept in a bucket it should have a lid and should be placed away from customers' reach.
• As soon as the ice starts to melt it should be thrown away.