A 2021 TikTok video shows just how disgusting some ice machines really are. The video shows a brown substance floating in an ice machine's water and growing on the sides of the machine. The user @jantheman____ says "A lot of times people go to a restaurant, they get sick, and they think it's food poisoning, or their food made them sick," and adds "Let me tell you this, there's a chance that it was their ice that got you sick" (via Newsweek).
While the gross visuals are enough to make you put down your drink, studies in the U.S., the U.K., and China confirm high levels of bacterial contamination and mold have been found in ice from ice machines, according to SafeIce.org. Dr. David Katz told ABC News ice can be dirtier than toilet water because machines aren't cleaned, and people don't always wash their hands before scooping ice.
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