A new study could have implications for quick-service restaurants and their beverage dispensers. The study, which took samples from 30 machines in the Roanoke Valley in Virginia, found the presence of coliform bacteria in many of them, according to ABC News.
Researchers from Hollis University found that 48 percent of the dispensers — a mix of self-serve and personnel-dispensed units — contained the bacteria that is an indicator of fecal contamination and therefore banned in drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to an abstract of the study published in the January print issue of the International Journal of Food Microbiology.
While no breakouts have been linked to beverage dispensers, the researchers said that the study indicates that regulations regarding the cleaning of the dispensers are needed to ensure public health and safety.
