The Big Reason You Should Rethink That Soda from Your Favorite Fast-Food Restaurant
Fast-food soda fountain
A recent study conducted by scientists in Southern California is making soda drinkers rethink their habits after it was found that fast-food soda fountains have been a breeding ground for high levels of bacteria along with other self-serve drinks. Bacteria levels were found to surpass the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations for drinking water at fast-food restaurants in eastern Coachella Valley, an area largely known to be low-income for Latino families who have limited access to clean water.
Water pollution in desert communities about 2 ½ hours east of L.A. has run rampant, with federal officials identifying bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa thriving in local fast-food restaurants. According to a study published in August in the Drinking Water journal, more than 40 percent of water samples from fast-food soda fountains had coliform bacteria present, a brash indicator of contamination. Calling into question the government and manufacturer-led standards which the sanitation and maintenance of soda fountains rely on, the study suggests that major reform in this department is absolutely necessary.
Although the study only looked at one small area, scientists believe a much larger issue is at hand. “We cannot say that soda fountain contamination is only in the eastern Coachella Valley,” stated Thomas Hile, a researcher with Loma Linda and the lead author of the research study. “It’s a general problem that I believe is kind of overlooked.”
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This isn’t the first time such a discovery has been made, however, as researchers previously looked into the public health risks of fast-food soda fountains over a decade ago and came back with very similar results. And although the restaurant industry may be following the health and safety standards that have been put in place, the question of whether or not the standards should be revised still remains.
Hile and Ryan Sinclair, an associate professor of environmental microbiology at Loma Linda and the study's co-author, discovered the bacteria almost coincidentally while collecting samples of tap water at the Oasis Mobile Home Park. Toxic levels of arsenic were found in the drinking water, putting residents at risk of contamination from E. coli and other disease-causing organisms.
While researching tap water alternatives, vending machines that dispense water into large jugs and restaurant soda fountains were discovered to be yet another source where local residents might look for water alternatives. Researchers eventually collected over 70 water samples from soda fountains, vending machines and taps, where traces of salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E.coli were all identified among other bacteria across all three water sources. These waterborne pathogens have been known to cause extreme gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses, hepatitis and even death.
So what could be the cause of such contamination? Researchers point to biofilms — a collection of organisms (like slime) that stick together and to surfaces — which are likely to develop in water distribution systems due to the use of plastic piping. Being the ideal environment for biofilm growth and bacteria development, it was determined that because of the biofilm, filtration systems had slowly stopped combating the contamination properly. “Filtration systems in vending machines and soda fountains are insufficient to prevent consumers from drinking contaminated water,” officials wrote in the study.
“It’s a concern that they found these pathogens,” stated Joan Rose, a microbiologist and the Homer Nowlin Endowed Chair in Water Research at Michigan State University. “It’s clearly an indicator that we need to do more investigations like this. We just don’t know how big the threat is.”
While the widespread impact of this issue is still currently unknown, many factors come into play as to how we got here and what will be done to combat it. Researchers from Hollins University identified microbial contamination in soda fountains during a one-year study in Virginia over a decade ago. The study suggested that lack of regulation of the tubing used in soda fountains and the lack of inspections of the beverage delivery systems or beverages themselves were to blame.
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Patrick Guzzle, vice president of food science at the National Restaurant Association mentioned in a statement that federal regulations from the Food and Drug Administration's Food Code require soda fountains to be cleaned just like any area with food contact.
“We know that the area (Coachella Valley) is an environmental justice site – meaning that it presents specific environmental health concerns to all members of the community,” Guzzle stated. “We encourage restaurant operators to work with their suppliers to know and understand the best ways to clean and sanitize all food contact surfaces in accordance with the food code and prevailing local statutes, regulations, and policies.”
Officials at the county Department of Environmental Health in Riverside County, which includes Coachella Valley, noted that California law regulates restaurant water sources, meaning that county specialists conduct routine inspections to ensure retail food facilities operate under clean and safe measures to prevent disease. However, the state Department of Public Health oversees water vending machines in California and state officials do not comment on studies they did not author themselves.
“Restaurant owners/operators whose soda fountains tested positive for total coliform must immediately thoroughly clean and sanitize the unit,” stated Kristin Lorge, deputy director of the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health in an email. “Soda fountains, like all food contact surfaces, must be properly cleaned and sanitized to prevent food contamination and the incidence of food/waterborne illness.”
The truth of the matter is, until better regulation exists and restaurants begin using antimicrobial tubing similar to what dentists use with their equipment, these breeding grounds for bacteria will continue to develop. And unless you want to ask your local fast-food worker to inspect their soda-fountain before filling up your cup, we’ll have to wait for officials to make some changes.
