Fecal bacteria found at 48% of soda fountains study shows

Ah the soda fountain, a staple of the American daily culinary experience. Sweet, refreshing, ice cold and nearly half contain fecal bacteria. A recent study by the microbiologists at Hollins University has revealed that a full 48% of soda fountains at fast food restaurants contain coliform bacteria–a bacteria that commonly grows in feces. While 11% contained E. Coli. The findings were published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology.

Fecal Bacteria and Co. in Fast Food Soda Fountains:
From the abstract of the scientists’ report:

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. While none of the ice samples exceeded U.S. drinking water standards, coliform bacteria was detected in 48% of the beverages and 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 and 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.

Journalist Tom Lawskawy, who broke news of the study, points out, however, that the researchers say there’s only been one certified outbreak over in the last ten years. And to be clear, coliform bacteria does not only grow in feces, though it commonly does–and the majority of coliform bacteria are not dangerous. But Lawskawy also notes that there’s an “awful lot of ‘gastric distress’ that goes unreported.”

Fantastic, but can the small amount of  fecal bacteria in soda- fountain soda really make you sick?

Now, while the whole concept does indeed seem disgusting, it’s useful to remember that there is a small amount of coliform bacteria in much of the stuff we drink anyway. It’s legal, and safe, in certain percentages in US drinking water. And there’s only one strain of E. Coli (O157:H7) that is of high concern, which is why outbreaks attributed to soda fountains are so extremely rare–and why nobody really needs to fear for their lives when going for a refill of Dr. Pepper.

That said, there are still people getting needlessly sick to their stomachs by the poor cleaning practices of fast food joints. As the scientists conclude in their abstract:

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.

In other words, they say fast food restaurants need to start cleaning up their beverage fountains.

Sources: Amy S. White, Renee D. Godard, Carolyn Belling, Victoria Kasza and Rebecca L. Beach

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