Cold & deadly: Bad ice spreads disease

[P.J.]

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Please avoid Fruit Juice with ice in road side shops in Chennai

Almost every fresh fruit juice stall and vendor in Chennai uses ice made for industrial purposes that is manufactured in the hundreds of unlicenced units that dot the city. The ice contains a variety of germs and disease-causing bacteria, including Escherichia coli and salmonella.

Health experts in the city report a sudden spurt in cases of jaundice, typhoid and diarrhoea and say an increase in consumption of beverages chilled with contaminated ice is the most likely cause of people falling ill.

A TOI investigation of ice factories, retail outlets and fruit shops in the city found that the manufacturing, supply, storage and use of ice are completely unmonitored.

Ice manufacturing units in places like Thiruvottiyur, Royapuram, Royapettah, Mylapore and Ambattur operate in filthy conditions. They do not have any quality control systems or concerns about hygiene. The units make ice from untreated water drawn from borewells or supplied by water tankers. The units use chemicals to speed up the freezing process and store the huge blocks of ice in squalid storerooms. Wholesalers transport the ice in dirty sacks for sale.

"Most roadside vendors make do with industrial ice, which is unfit for human consumption," said S Elango, former director of public health.

Read more here:

Cold & deadly: Bad ice spreads disease - The Times of India

 

[Raji Ram]

The cool drinks and 'kai Endhi bhavans' in Sing. Chennai will always be crowded, however we try to

educate people! The other day, I was waiting for a bus to go to Adyar and a lady led all her three kids

to the cool drink shop where the kids wanted more ice to be added in the drinks. But I guess many of

them do NOT fall sick! Their immunity is high! We bring up children with safe drinking water and they

fall sick even with one ounce of contaminated water! Very strange!!

 

[P.J.]

Raji Madam

I do not know how far this is True; i have heard that Ice used to keep the dead bodies in Ice Box ,mortuary , boxes where Perishables are kept like fish and vegetables, are used in Road side shops.

Yes, you are absolutely right, our children fall sick very easily because they seldom spend time playing in hot Sun, they are deprived of immunity.

 

[prasad1]

Please avoid Fruit Juice with ice in road side shops in Chennai

Almost every fresh fruit juice stall and vendor in Chennai uses ice made for industrial purposes that is manufactured in the hundreds of unlicenced units that dot the city. The ice contains a variety of germs and disease-causing bacteria, including Escherichia coli and salmonella.

Health experts in the city report a sudden spurt in cases of jaundice, typhoid and diarrhoea and say an increase in consumption of beverages chilled with contaminated ice is the most likely cause of people falling ill.

A TOI investigation of ice factories, retail outlets and fruit shops in the city found that the manufacturing, supply, storage and use of ice are completely unmonitored.

Ice manufacturing units in places like Thiruvottiyur, Royapuram, Royapettah, Mylapore and Ambattur operate in filthy conditions. They do not have any quality control systems or concerns about hygiene. The units make ice from untreated water drawn from borewells or supplied by water tankers. The units use chemicals to speed up the freezing process and store the huge blocks of ice in squalid storerooms. Wholesalers transport the ice in dirty sacks for sale.

"Most roadside vendors make do with industrial ice, which is unfit for human consumption," said S Elango, former director of public health.

Read more here:

Cold & deadly: Bad ice spreads disease - The Times of India

Very good information. Thanks

 

[Raji Ram]

Actually the poor section of people find it difficult even to get the corporation water supplied

by lorries. They have to pay Rs. 5 to the lorry driver for on pot of water! They never boil their

drinking water because of poverty. A so called white cloth will be the 'filter'. I guess they develop

immunity this way! Sometimes I feel that too much of cleanliness is bad for health because even

half a glass of contaminated water makes us sick immediately! No immunity at all in the system.

Added to transporting the ice made with untreated water in dirty sacks, the big blocks are smashed

by keeping them tied inside a rubber tube (used inside the tire of heavy vehicles) and I have seen

this method in many regular juice shops (not the road side ones) in T'nagar.

HamArA BhArath mahAn!! :thumb:

 

[Raji Ram]

This is one juice shop in Sing. Chennai. Picture courtesy: Google images.

Do they clean the fruits before making the mouth watering juice?? :noidea:

 

[P.J.]

Raji Madam

The shop itself looks dirty; before going to India, Children and parents take vaccination for Flu. Malaria always. They are very much scared to drink even bottled water there.