ICE MAKERS
If your business sells food in any way, then you know just how important an ice machine is. We install and repair cubed and tubular ice makers for the following brands:
- Hoshizaki
- Manitowoc
- Vogt
- Scotsman
- Ice-O-Matic
- Cornelius
How often should your ice machine be cleaned?
If you make your own ice, your machine must be properly maintained and sanitary. It's not just common sense… it's the law! The Federal Food Code outlines the standards you must follow. Chapter 1 part 1-201.10 defines ice as food. This subjects ice to the same handling and cleanliness standards as everything else in the restaurant.
Ice machine cleaning is governed by Food Law 2009 Chapter 4 part 602.11 section (E) item (4 a and b). This states that the machines must be “at a frequency specified by the manufacturer,” i.e., four times per year for Manitowoc, or “at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil or mold,” which should be at least every three months.
Can your Ice make you sick?
Biofilms are a collection of microorganisms, mainly bacteria. Once microbes grow into well-developed biofilms, cleaning and sanitation become much more difficult and normal cleaning and sanitizing methods may not eliminate them. Disease-producing bacteria, including listeria, can be 1,000 times harder to eliminate if they are living in a protective biofilm.
Just running the cleaning cycle on your machine is not enough. One Solution Service will remove and manually clean biofilm from the parts that automated cleaning does not reach.
People really do get sick!
Just because ice is frozen doesn’t mean it can't contain harmful bacteria or viruses. You can get very sick from contaminated ice. Salmonella, E. coli, and shigella all survived in a study of ice cubes mixed with a cola drink. Viruses also survive in ice cubes, so the viruses can wreak havoc in the frozen crystals.
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 grow, and your ice becomes contaminated.
Descale and sanitize to reduce maintenance costs. One important way to reduce unplanned ice machine maintenance is to descale and sanitize equipment at least twice a year depending on the ice machine’s environment. Mineral, lime, and mold build up can cause poor ice machine performance. Minerals, especially lime, can build up and seriously decrease the speed of your ice production and increase your energy consumption. A regular cleaning schedule can keep your machine running at maximum efficiency.
Ice machines operating near equipment for baking bread require more frequent attention due to airborne yeast particulates. It is worth the effort. Caring for ice machines can boost profits by reducing maintenance costs and ensuring guests have a positive experience. As the temperature heats up throughout the summer months, it is more important than ever that ice always be available for guests.
Remember that ice is legally considered food and is subject to strict hygiene legislation. Cleanliness of ice machines is very important, and manufacturer cleaning routines should always be followed.
