How legit is the toilet water study?
February 19, 2006
A seventh-grade student at Benito Middle School in New Tampa, Fla., tested the bacteria levels of fast-food ice compared to fast-food toilet water.
"I found that 70-percent of the time, the ice from the fast food restaurants contain more bacteria than the fast food restaurant's toilet water," Jasmine Roberts told a Tampa newspaper.
Roberts selected five QSRs within a 10-mile radius of the University of South Florida. She said at each restaurant she flushed the toilet once, then used sterile gloves to gather samples. Last week, her science project's results went public. Since then, she has appeared on the major television networks. But many industry professionals question the validity of the test.
"What we've heard from the media is very little. I'm waiting for the scientific facts to come. We can't really know what to think until the science behind the study is reported," said Paul Barnhill, president of Meritech (an employee hygiene company). "The story could be legit, but we just don't know."
Nonetheless, Barnhill said QSRs always should be concerned about cleanliness. He said bacteria is often found on ice scoopers and employee hands.
"Using a scooper that has fallen on the floor or not washing hands will most likely spread pathogens," Barnhill said.
