Customer complains their Coca-Cola doesn’t taste right. Then an expert checks the restaurant’s soda machine: ‘Holy ecoli risk’

An expert went into a restaurant and looked at a Coca-Cola fountain. Then he realized they hadn’t cleaned the machine in months. 

TikTok account fixing stuff and having fun (@mirvinzandler), posted a video with more than 300,000 views where the creator took apart a soda machine. The result left many commenters wondering whether or not they’d get E.Coli if they drank from the fountain.

Coca-Cola conundrum

The content creator got a call from a restaurant requesting a maintenance check on a soda machine. He mentioned that the restaurant was a customer of his and had used his services before. Immediately upon arriving, he noticed that the box of Coca-Cola-associated syrups the machine was using was expired. 

“Every single box of product is expired by, uh, months and months and months, so that’s not gonna taste good,” the creator said. 

In addition, he examined multiple parts of the machine and noticed dirty equipment and nozzles. 

“ Last August, I gave them a whole new set of nozzles and told them to clean them nightly, or at least every couple days since they never do at all, and it looks like they haven’t since,” the content creator said. 

The TikToker wrote that his check was “Standard procedure for off taste. Check pressures, check bib expiration dates, check ratio, and make sure they have co2.” From that check, he noticed that the customer was out of CO2, which would make their drinks stale in addition to being dirty and expired. 

In a comment to The Mary Sue, the content creator stated that “most nozzles are clean. It’s pretty rare they ever get this bad. I’ve seen it 4 or 5 times and usually it’s in a gas station.”

When should restaurants clean soda machines?

Soda machines are supposed to be cleaned at least once a day, with a deep clean occurring on a weekly basis. 

The once a day cleaning should include rinsing out the machine with hot water to kill contaminants. Employees should clean the nozzles, drip trays and dispensing valves alongside any other spots that get significant buildup. 

With the once-a-week cleaning, employees should take out removable parts of the machine and fully clean them. Employees should also check the filters of the machine to ensure they’re clean. 

Websites like SC beverage recommend fully dissembling a soda fountain once a month to clean each part: “This includes cleaning the internal and removable components and looking at all of the parts to see if anything needs to be replaced.” The website also recommends routine maintenance to ensure soda machines’ overall longevity. 

Large corporations such as Coca-Cola have rigorous guidelines for sanitation and cleaning of soda machines. Coca-Cola food service, for instance, has an eight step outline for cleaning dispensing valves, alongside a two-step process for drip pans and a four step process for soda dispensers. The food service company recommends daily, weekly, and monthly cleanings. 

How unclean is the average soda fountain?

Despite the Food and Drug Administration having outlines for properly cleaning soda machines, many restaurants have dirty fountains. 

The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) discovered that soda fountains are among some of the most germ-heavy places in most restaurants and dining establishments. The NSF also discovered that coliform bacteria, which is commonly associated with fecal contamination, was found in roughly 50% of tested soda machines out of a sample size. 

Anecdotally, viewers also provided information about how often restaurants cleaned their fountains. Former and current employees from chains like Freddy’s and In-N-Out said they cleaned the soda dispensers daily. Other smaller restaurants and even some chains? Not so much.

“Any place that doesn’t soak their nozzle every night. should be shut down immediately,” one commenter said. 

The Mary Sue has reached out to fixing stuff and having fun via TikTok direct message for more information.

@fixmedaddylol Standard procedure for off taste. Check pressures, check bib expiration dates, check ratio, and make sure they have co2. This customer was also out of co2, so there was no point. I will be back when they have new product and co2. Fountain repair fun. #fountaindrinks #gross #repair #fix ♬ original sound – fixing stuff and having fun

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