How Clean is the Ice in Your Drink?

Many people buy drinks at restaurants or convenience stores without a second thought about the cleanliness of the ice that keeps their drinks cool. Just because ice is frozen, doesn’t mean it cannot contain harmful bacteria. 

Ice is food and should be treated as such, but more often than not, it isn’t. Many vendors fail to clean their ice machines regularly, and even if they do, the ice is often handled inappropriately. The HPA says “Poor hygiene practices when preparing ice could create the opportunity for harmful bacteria to contaminate our food and drinks. “ 

When purchasing a fountain drink from a restaurant or convenience store, it is best to ensure that your ice is being handled properly. Here’s how you can usually tell whether your ice is safe or not:

• The fountain drink machine makes its own ice and is not touched by human hands
• If the machine does not make its own ice, or contains a scoop in which employees use to ice customer drinks, make sure the scoop is returned to the compartment outside the machine. The scoop should never be stored in the ice bin with the ice. 

Even these tips may not protect you from dirty ice. You may want to ask how often the ice machine is cleaned. When in doubt, skip the ice all together. 

Even bagged ice is not always safe, that is why you should always look for the IPIA logo when your purchase it. The FDA regulates the sale of ice but the IPIA has even stricter standards. The IPIA seal means the packaged ice consumers are buying meets the association’s strict quality and safety policy. It is safe to say that if the bagged ice you’re buying does not have the IPIA logo; you may want to find a bag that does. 

B&B Ice is a member of the IPIA and follows all FDA and IPIA standards. We are a Reddy Ice distributor and the water used to make our ice is filtered for use in the ice making process. We use several different types of filtration to ensure proper quality. All Reddy Ice manufacturing facilities are NSF inspected and certified by the IPIA. This certification requires inspection of more than 50 areas of operations. To ensure the utmost cleanliness and safety, our ice is NEVER touched by human hands. 

Is all bagged ice safe?

The average American consumer buys 4 bags of packaged ice per year – and we’re pretty sure Texans buy even more than that. But how do you know if the bagged ice you’re buying is safe? The FDA regulates the production of ice by ice distributors and yes, they consider ice to be food. The International Packaged Ice Association (IPIA) is another organization whose members must follow strict standards for producing bagged ice. 

Improperly manufactured ice can become contaminated from the use of impure water, contamination of ice making machines, and improper storage. This runs the risk of E. Coli and many other dangerous contaminants. 

When buying packaged ice, it is a good practice to follow these tips from the IPIA:

• The package of ice must carry the IPIA logo

• Ice must be clear in color as well as odorless and tasteless

• The bag must be properly closed and secure (no drawstring ties)

• The bag must have the manufacturer's name, address and phone number

• The bag must be free of any foreign objects

• The bag must have a product code

B&B Ice is a Reddy Ice distributor, and our packaged Ice adheres to all FDA standards. We are also a proud member of the IPIA.  So next time you’re out and need a bag of ice – grab a bag of B&B / Reddy Ice…. “The Clear Choice!” 

Staying Hydrated During the Winter

During the summer, it’s easy to remember to grab a bottle of water and gulp it down when you’re hot and sweating. But what about winter? Do you drink less water when the weather isn't as warm? Most people do.

Mild dehydration can still happen during winter time. Not only that but chapped lips, dry skin, coughing, nosebleeds, mild headaches and acne are all signs that your body needs more fluid.

Just because it’s cool outside doesn't mean that it’s okay to cut down on your water intake. Health experts says that staying hydrated is essential because the body is mostly water and it needs to constantly be replenished. Our bodies use water for many functions such as breathing, sweating and urination. We need water to regulate our body temperatures. It also alleviates every day discomforts, so if you’re feeling yucky in the afternoon, it may mean you need to drink more water.

A mere two percent drop in the body’s water volume can set off dizziness, muscle cramps, fatigue, and make you lose focus.

Here are some tips on how to increase water consumption during the winter:

• Have a bowl of clear soup before each meal. It will not only warm and fill you up but it will also provide nutrition and increase your water content.
• Use water humidifiers during the winter.
• Drink herbal tea.
• Add a sprig of mint or some lemon to your water for a refreshing twist.

Water: The Mood Booster!

Feeling a little down? Mild dehydration is known to cause depression and bad moods because your body can’t rid itself of toxins if it is not properly hydrated. Increasing your water intake can help your body “wash” away toxins that are accumulating inside your body.

“In a study published in the "Journal of Psychophysiology" in 2000, eight healthy, endurance-trained men were kept under- or over-hydrated while exercising on a treadmill for 90 minutes. Researchers then analyzed the mens' memory skills, levels of fatigue and moods and found that dehydration impaired all of these functions. These findings indicate that short-term, relatively mild dehydration can immediately detract from an active person's moods.” – Livestrong.com Blog

Experts say that people experiencing mild dehydration have trouble staying alert and using their memory. They also experience fatigue, tension, and anxiety.

Lack of water to the body may decrease the motivation to work and play. Here are a few tips to stay hydrated and avoid the “Negative Nancy” syndrome:

• Drink a glass or bottled water as soon as you wake up.
• Drink less caffiene.
• If you can't stay away from caffiene and sodas, drink 8oz of water for every caffeinated drink you consume.
• Snack on fruits and veggies, they contain water. 

Common Water Problems

Common Water Problems

Something “off” about your tap water? We’re experts, but some people may not recognize these water problems in their businesses. Here are some “clues” for common water problems and what to do about them.

Your tap water smells like rotten eggs

Total dissolved solids (TDS) like hydrogen sulphide, iron, and other chemicals can lead to that putrid smell coming from your sink or bathtubs.

Solution: A whole-house water purifier can resolve this problem.

Hard water

Water hardness is due to calcium, magnesium, and sometimes iron dissolved in water. These elements can harm piping, dishwashers, and water heaters.

Solution: Water hardness can be removed with a water conditioner/softener or a water treatment device.

Salty or brackish taste

This is caused by high sulfate or chloride content and can be solved by filtering via reverse osmosis.

Acidic water causing leaky pipes

Tap water containing acid will leave blue-green stains on surfaces in your home. This is actually caused by acidity eating away at the copper in your pips. If ignored, this could cause leaks.

Solution: This can be solved by injecting soda ash or caustic soda in your water supply to raise the pH.

Of course you could just contact us and get fresh, clean, filtered water delivered right to your business or job site. 

Why Choose B&B Ice Water?

When making ice water in bulk, for hundreds or thousands of employees, it is imperative that your water is sanitary.

When it comes down to it, the Safety, Cost Savings and Convenience of B&B Ice water far outweighs the “Do it yourself” option. Let’s take a look:

Safety and Cost Savings
It seems as if it would be cheaper just to make your own ice water…right? Wrong.

If you make your own ice water in-house, your business has to pay for the cost of the water, coolers, ice, and labor. Let’s not forget the potential liability unsanitary water and water coolers may cause. For instance, a refinery in Denver made national news when their tap water, the very same water their employees drank daily, became contaminated.

A Country Club in Arizona was forced to pay a 3 Milliondollar settlement to a family whose son died as a result of an unsanitary water cooler.

B&B’s ice water is guaranteed to be safe, sanitary, and pure. We clean and sanitize our coolers based on OSHA and FDA standards. Our water is passed through carbon filters and a UV water purifier to ensure that it is completely safe. Our ice also filtered and purified and is approved by the International packaged Ice Association.  B&B Ice water coolers typically cost about the same or less than most in-house water operations.

Convenience

Our ice water is made daily and is delivered to your business as needed. We even pick up the coolers after you’re done with them.

So, why choose B&B Ice Water? The answer is simple: “Safety, Cost Savings, & Convenience!” 

B&B Bottled Water

B&B Ice is excited to announce its newest product, B&B Bottled Water. Our bottled water comes from a natural spring in Jasper, Tx and is bottled at the source, unlike most American bottled waters. Our water has no flavor, and no blending from various sources. 

One of the key benefits of natural spring water is that it comes from a clean underground source. Spring water is free from contaminates usually found in drinking water. It also contains minerals that are beneficial to human health.

Other benefits of bottled spring water:

• It’s convenient and portable
• Bottled spring water is pure and natural, it does not contain any added chemicals

If you want fresh tasting water that’s safe to drink, our bottled spring water is the way to go. Yes, bottled water is available at most grocery stores, but we offer bulk bottled water delivery service to businesses in the Southeast Texas area.

For more information about bottled water delivery, contact us.