Speaking of toilets... watch the ice in fast food!

**Mamawolf** · 03-05-2006, 10:31 AM

HamptonRoads.com
© February 16, 2006

A 12-year-old Florida girl has won the top prize at her middle school's science fair for proving that toilet water is cleaner than the ice in fast food restaurants.

"My hypothesis was that the fast food restaurants’ ice would contain more bacteria that the fast food restaurants’ toilet water," Jasmine Roberts told Channel 10, the CBS affiliate in Tampa Bay, Florida.

To test her theory, Jasmine visited five local fast food restaurants. At each restaurant, she visited the restroom, donned sterile gloves, flushed once and took a sample from the toilet.

She also made a trip to the drive through window and asked for cups of ice.

She tested both samples at the Moffitt Cancer Center, where she volunteers.

"I found that 70% of the time, the ice from the fast food restaurants contain more bacteria than the fast food restaurant's toilet water," Jasmine said.

Jasmine's honors science teacher at Benito Middle School said he wasn't surprised.

"It does concern me and I think with any restaurant you have to think twice about what you may get there," Mark Danish said.

**Darlene** · 03-05-2006, 10:33 AM

Eww. Hold the ice please.

**Kimberlina** · 03-05-2006, 10:55 AM

Yuck. Doesn't actually surprise me though. I used to work at Friendly's, and some dopey guy who worked there temporarily dumped all the ice into the bucket we used when the sewer was backing up. Then he was going to put it back into the machine. If I hadn't caught him, he would have done it. And we aren't talking a toilet water bucket here, we are talking sewage.

That said, we don't know what kind of bacteria it was, so I probably won't worry about it too much. There could be a lot less bacteria in the toilet, but it could be a lot more dangerous.

**pkellyc** · 03-05-2006, 11:16 AM

One more phobia added to my list! Yuck!

**tbs727** · 03-05-2006, 04:38 PM

EW!!!

**Pepper** · 03-05-2006, 04:40 PM

OMGoodness!!

**krisathome** · 03-05-2006, 07:49 PM

YUMMY! Makes me want to rush right out and get a fountain Diet

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 03-06-2006, 06:49 AM

i saw that 12 yr old girl on good morning america. that just totally grossed me out. it just saddens me to know that our restaurants don't think highly about their customers.........i think i'll be going w/o ice next time.........lol!!!!!