Scientists in Southern California are asking the kind of questions that make soda drinkers uneasy after a recent study that found fast-food soda fountains were serving up high levels of bacteria along with self-serve drinks.
Researchers from Loma Linda University found bacteria levels that surpassed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations for drinking water at fast-food restaurants in the eastern Coachella Valley, where largely low-income, Latino farmworker families have struggled with accessing potable water.
The study, published in August in the journal Drinking Water, found more than 40% of water samples from fast-food soda fountains had coliforms present, an indicator of contamination. The study calls into question the sanitation and maintenance of water from soda fountains, which rely on government and manufacturer standards.
FoodWorld 