I’m a fan of soft-serve ice cream. If I’m out somewhere and have an urge for a treat I’m likely looking for a DQ dipped cone or a McDonald’s hot fudge sundae (with nuts). The Toronto Star reports today that eating my top dessert choice from some Ontario outlets might not be a good idea. Investigative reporter Diana Zlomislic from the Star tested vanilla ice cream and frozen yogurt samples from 14 sites, including mobile trucks, street kiosks and retail chains.  Zlomislic reportedly found coliform, a group of indicator bacteria that may mean a lack of sanitation, exceeding suggested limits at five of the vendors.

The highest level the Star found – at 3,000 coliform organisms per gram – was purchased from JJ Dairy Cool, a mobile ice cream truck stationed outside Toronto City Hall on Queen St. W.
Owner George Koutsaris, one of Toronto’s original ice cream truck vendors who’s been selling cones for more than 40 years, says he prides himself on the cleanliness of his operation.

It’s a small study size (14 sites, and I’m assuming one cone per site), and I’m not sure how acseptic the reporters’ sampling was (samples could have been contaminated by a dirty journo putting the cone into a bag) but, if everything was done correctly, finding coliform in the served product at 5 places isn’t good. It’s not all that surprising, coliform has routinely been found on the nozzles of soft-serve machines when folks look. Based on sanitation data, Australian health authorities suggest that moms-to-be avoid soft-serve throughout pregnancy.

Zlomislic writes that:

Koutsaris worries the problem may lie with his supplier of the liquid soft-serve mix, which he purchases by the bag. His daughter, who works with him, said their supplier is buying products from a new wholesaler.

Coliform shouldn’t be in soft-serve ice cream. It shows a lack of sanitation, poor supplier practices or both. Regardless of the source, it could indicate that pathogens are present. In one of the most popular barfblog posts ever, Doug took on Tori Spelling and Baskin-Robbins over a soft-serve ice cream giveaway targeted at moms-to-be. 

Poor hygiene can lead to the spread of foodborne illness through soft serve ice cream. Soft serve ice cream is typically kept at a higher storage temperature than frozen ice creams, which could lead to increased bacterial growth. Ice cream is high in moisture and protein content, which is favorable for bacteria to grow. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has its own publication warning of such risks.