Soda fountains contain fecal contamination, other bacteria

January 11, 2010 · Posted in Commentary

A study published in the January issue of International Journal of Food Microbiology found coliform bacteria, possibly from fecal contamination, in 48% of the soda fountains tested. More than 11% of the beverages analyzed contained E-coli and over 17% contained Chryseobacterium meningosepticum, among other bacteria. Most of the bacteria found in the tests showed resistance to one or more of the 11 antibiotics tested. The study concluded that “these findings have important public health implications and signal the need for regulations enforcing hygienic practices associated with these beverage dispensers.”