Ensuring Ice Machine Safety in Grocery Stores: A Guide

Ice machines are standalone appliances for making ice largely used in grocery stores, restaurants, and hotels. As the global economy becomes more stable, the commercial ice machine market has also experienced considerable growth. The global ice machine market size is projected to amount to $1,896.0 million in 2028, growing at a 5.5% CAGR during the forecast period.

The industry has grown 0.5% annually from 2017 to 2022, and the market size of the industry is estimated to be $963.7 million in 2022.

Growth in the ice machine market is driven by the increasing demand for safe ice in grocery stores, fish markets, hotels, and bakeries.

Consistent and Safe Supply of Ice

The most important factors grocery stores need to consider when using ice machines are safety and consistency.

They need a reliable supply of ice regularly to effectively manage their storage needs and offer clean and clear ice to their employees and customers.

Types of Ice Machines in Grocery Stores and Safety Protocols

Let’s look at different ice machines you may find in grocery stores and important safety rules to make sure the ice is safe for your customers.

Beverage Dispensers

Some important safety rules every grocery store should post near beverage dispensers in their facility include:

Hand sanitation before and after the use of the appliance
Prohibit the dumping of beverages/food items into the tray
Prohibit the use of cups more than once. Instead of refilling used cups, encourage people to use new and clean cups every time.

Ice Bins

Since the food storage ice bins are damp and dark, they can make for an ideal habitat for germs and bacteria. The only way you can reduce bacterial growth inside food store ice bins is by frequent deep cleaning.

Important rules to consider:

Separate holder for ice scoop to make sure nobody leaves it in the ice
Hand sanitization
Prohibit people from leaving the ice shovel inside the bin
Wear masks when using the ice bin
Restrict people from using other items such as a glass, a pitcher, a bucket, or any other container to remove ice. Only remove ice using the ice scoop

In addition to deep cleaning, which should be performed twice every year by an experienced ice machines solution provider, grocery store managers should also hire people to regularly clean and disinfect the ice machines.

Premium Ice Machines in Los Angeles

At LA Ice Machine, we provide top-of-the-line rental commercial ice machines for hospitals, restaurants, and grocery stores in Los Angeles. We also offer cost-effective water filters, ice dispensers and bins, and ice machines.

We believe in hard work, dedication, and commitment and build a lasting relationship with our customers by providing them unparalleled customer support and excellent services.

With approximately 15,000 commercial ice machines under our management, our representatives have knowledge about ice machines and how they work and are used in different industries.