Business Insider最近采訪了二十多位調酒師，問他們“哪些事情是他們樂于告訴顧客卻不能說的”。他們的回答是：在加冰前仔細考慮一下，冰塊可能不干凈。

當然，這只是調酒師的坊間建議。盡管一些酒吧和餐廳可能不會嚴格清潔制冰機，但另一些或許會這么做。

以下是你需要注意的一些事項：

沒錯，有時冰塊被污染了

過去十年里的一些研究和新聞故事，讓這些調酒師關于制冰機的警告增添了不少可信度。2014年，赫芬頓郵報（HuffPost）就冰塊和制冰機污染的問題與兩位專家進行了探討。文中討論了三大問題：霉菌、細菌和人類手上的附著物。

這些污染物可能來自各種地方。霉菌可能滋生于制冰機里——尤其是如果制冰機沒有得到清潔，或是有一段時間沒用過。

盡管1974年美國推出了《安全飲用水法案》（Safe Drinking Water Act），美國環保局（EPA）對于清潔水也有標準，但在制冰機制冰和儲藏的過程中，或是與其他被污染的食物接觸的過程中，水也可能受到細菌的污染。

位于拉斯維加斯的內華達大學（University of Nevada）的研究人員在2011年進行了一項研究，檢查了拉斯維加斯餐廳里的冰塊和蘇打水中細菌的分布情況。研究發現，有33%的冰塊樣本都含有異養細菌，這個值超出了環保局規定的標準。此外，“在大腸菌群的檢測中，有72.2%的樣本呈陽性。”（蘇打水的樣本在這兩項檢測中情況更加糟糕。）

當然，人類的玩忽職守也是原因之一。帶病工作的調酒師在撈取冰塊之前如果不洗手，并直接用手接觸冰塊，就會污染冰塊。（諾瓦克病毒就能通過這種方式傳播。）

南佛羅里達大學（University of South Florida）的微生物學家黛布拉·霍夫曼在2006年對美國全國廣播公司新聞頻道（NBC News）解釋道：“大部分人沒有意識到不洗手會導致死亡。他們不知道這種風險。聞起來不會有什么特別，看起來也沒什么特別。這都是微觀的變化，所以你看不到。你不知道它已經發生了。”

餐廳如何避免冰塊和制冰機被污染

賓夕法尼亞州立大學（Pennsylvania State University）食品科學系的食品安全宣傳高級副主管馬丁·巴克納瓦吉對《赫芬頓郵報》解釋道，餐廳和酒吧可以采取措施避免污染，其中重要的一點在于對冰塊使用等同于食品的安全保護措施。

美國食品和藥物管理局（Food and Drug Administration）對此也做出了規定。《食品安全雜志》（Food Safety Magazine）表示，在《美國食品和藥物管理局食品法典》（U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Code）中，冰塊被定義為食品。

對制冰機進行清潔和消毒也有助于防止污染，法律對此有強制規定。

《食品安全雜志》指出：“2009年《食品法》第4章602.11部分第E條（4a和b）對制冰機的清潔做出了規定，其中要求機器必須按照‘制造商指定的頻率’進行清潔，其頻率大多為每年二至四次，或以‘足以阻止灰塵積聚或霉菌滋生的頻率’進行清潔。第4章702.11部分則對制冰機的消毒做出了規定，要求與冰塊接觸的表面必須在每次清潔之后進行消毒。”

不按照要求操作的餐廳將被處以巨額罰款。

《食品安全雜志》還提供了消滅人為疏忽的建議，包括洗手、采用冰勺取冰，不要用手直接接觸冰塊等。

外賣

食品專家對《赫芬頓郵報》表示，有時候冰塊污染會導致嚴重的疾病甚至死亡。不過，你的免疫系統也能很好地解決接觸不潔冰塊的情況。

FoodSafety.gov網站指出，就食物傳染疾病而言，某些特定群體患病的概率都會更高，例如幼兒或老人、艾滋病患者或艾滋病病毒攜帶者、糖尿病或免疫疾病患者，或是孕婦。

想要避免被污染的冰塊，消費者可以關注餐廳和酒吧的清潔度和健康評級。如果你非常在意這點，就別點雞尾酒，只喝啤酒、紅酒、蘋果酒，或是只喝一點點。（財富中文網）

譯者：嚴匡正?

Business Insider recently asked more than two dozen bartenders to “weigh in on what they’d love to tell customers but can’t.” Their response: Think twice about ice because it may be unclean.

Of course, this is just anecdotal advice from a handful of mixologists. While some bars and restaurants may not rigorously clean their ice machines, others may do so.

Here’s what you should keep in mind:

Yes, in some cases ice has been found to be contaminated:

Some studies and news stories over the past decade lend credibility to these bartenders’ warning about ice machines. In 2014, HuffPost spoke to two experts on ice and ice machine contamination. Three main issues were discussed in the piece: mold, bacteria, and whatever is found on peoples’ hands.

These contaminants can come from a variety of places. Mold can build up in ice machines—especially if they’re not cleaned or are turned off for a period of time.

And despite the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974 and EPA standards for clean water, water can become contaminated with bacteria while being frozen and stored from ice making machines or from contact with other contaminated food.

A 2011 study by researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas examined the prevalence of bacteria in ice and soda dispensed at Las Vegas restaurants. The study found that 33.3% of ice samples contained heterotrophic bacteria—higher than EPA standards. It also found that “72.2% were positive for presumptive coliform bacteria presence.” (The soda samples fared far worse in both categories.)

And of course, there’s human negligence. Bartenders who work while sick, don’t wash their hands before scooping ice, and use their hands to touch ice can contaminate ice from their hands. (Norovirus can be spread this way.)

“Most people don’t realize that not washing their hands could cause death,” Debra Huffman, a microbiologist at the University of South Florida, explained to NBC News in 2006. “They just don’t see the risk. It’s not going to smell funny. It’s not going to look funny. These are microscopic, and so you’re not going to see it. You wouldn’t known it happened.”

How restaurants can avoid ice and ice machine contamination:

Restaurants and bars can take steps to avoid contamination, and a big part of that is treating ice with the same safety precautions that they would treat food, Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate at the Department of Food Science at Pennsylvania State University, explained to HuffPost.

This is also codified by the Food and Drug Administration. Ice is defined as food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Code, according to Food Safety Magazine.

Cleaning and sanitizing ice machines can also help prevent contamination, and it’s mandated by law.

“Ice machine cleaning is governed by Food Law 2009 Chapter 4 part 602.11 section (E) item (4a and b), which states that the machines must be cleaned “at a frequency specified by the manufacturer,” which in most instances ranges from two to four times per year, or ‘at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil or mold,'” Food Safety Magazine notes. “Ice machine sanitizing is governed by Chapter 4 part 702.11, which states that the ice contact surfaces must be sanitized after each cleaning.”

Restaurants that don’t comply can be levied hefty fines.

Food Safety Magazine offers tips to combat human error, including washing hands, proper ice scoop handling, and not handling ice with hands.

The takeaway:

There are cases in which ice contamination has caused serious illness or death. However, your immune system can probably handle some contact with contaminated ice, experts told HuffPost.

As with any foodborne illness, there are certain groups who are more at risk of getting sick, including the very young, the very old, those with HIV/AIDS, those with diabetes or autoimmune disorders, or pregnant women, according to FoodSafety.gov.

Some customer tips for avoiding contaminated ice include paying attention to the cleanliness and health ratings of restaurants and bars you visit. And if you’re really concerned, skip the cocktail and stick with beer, wine, cider, or a shot.