A BBC investigation in 2017 revealed that ice served at McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King outlets across the United Kingdom was contaminated with fecal bacteria. The findings raised serious questions about hygiene practices in some of the world’s biggest fast-food chains.
The BBC’s Watchdog program conducted the tests at 30 fast-food outlets across the UK. The results showed that more than half of the tested samples contained contamination. Ice from three McDonald’s, six Burger Kings, and seven KFC restaurants contained bacteria known as faecal coliforms. This bacteria serves as a clear indicator of fecal contamination. Some of these samples contained what researchers described as “significant levels” of bacteria. These included four from Burger King and five from KFC.
Health experts said the contamination likely came from poor hand hygiene and unclean ice machines. They warned that any presence of such bacteria in ice meant that the water used was not safe for human consumption.
Tony Lewis, who was the head of policy and education at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, reacted strongly to the findings during his interview with BBC’s Watchdog.
He said, “It’s extremely worrying. When we’re finding the sorts of numbers we’re finding here, you have to look at the people making the ice, handling the ice, which they then transfer into customers’ drinks. And then you also have to look at hygiene failure with potentially the machines themselves: do staff keep them clean?”
Lewis explained that coliform bacteria indicate fecal contamination. They should never appear in water or ice used for human consumption. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) sets water standards in the UK. It clearly advises that such bacteria should not be present in drinking water at all.
Experts believed that two likely causes led to the contamination. Workers may not have washed their hands properly before handling ice. Alternatively, staff may not have cleaned the ice machines regularly. Ice machines use water that sits inside for long periods. Therefore, any small lapse in cleaning could lead to bacteria growing quickly.
During the summer season, when cold drinks were in high demand, the machines were used more frequently and cleaned less often. This combination, experts said, created a perfect environment for bacteria to multiply.
All three fast-food companies responded quickly to the BBC report and promised to take action to improve hygiene standards.
In a statement to Business Insider, a McDonald’s spokesperson admitted that tests found small amounts of coliform bacteria. However, they confirmed that no traces of E. coli appeared. E. coli is the most dangerous form of fecal bacteria.
Tom Humphrey, an independent professor of bacteriology and food safety, said, “It is pleasing that Escherichia coli (E. coli) did not appear in any ice samples from McDonald’s restaurants.”This bacterium serves as the most accurate and reliable indicator of faecal contamination.”
He added, “Low levels of two other indicator bacteria, coliforms and enterococci, were found in some ice samples. People can use these to assess water hygiene. However, they are widely distributed in the natural environment. Therefore, they do not serve as reliable indicators of potential health risks.”
KFC said it felt shocked and extremely disappointed by the results. A company spokesperson said, “We immediately shut down the ice machines in the affected restaurants. We then conducted a thorough clean and inspection. We also reinforced the importance of adhering to our strict procedures to all employees.”
Burger King also expressed concern, saying that cleanliness and hygiene were top priorities for the brand. A company spokesperson said, “We have strict procedures in place. These procedures aim to ensure all guests have a positive experience each time they visit our restaurants. We are proactively working with our franchisees in the UK to reinforce these procedures.”
The BBC’s report came only a few weeks after similar tests found fecal bacteria in ice from leading coffee chains. These included Costa Coffee, Starbucks, and Caffè Nero. The previous study revealed that Costa Coffee was the worst affected. Seven out of ten samples tested positive for bacteria found in feces. Starbucks and Caffè Nero each had three contaminated samples out of ten tested.
The BBC’s findings created widespread public concern, especially on social media. Health officials reassured the public that the risk of serious illness was low. However, they stated that the presence of fecal bacteria in any food or drink product was unacceptable. Following the investigation, the fast-food chains increased cleaning inspections.
