Bacteria found in coffee franchises

The Korea Food and Drug Administration said it found potentially harmful germs and high levels of bacteria in iced coffees and ice at 11 well-known chains, including Starbucks, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts.

The recent investigation, conducted jointly with the National Council of the Green Consumers Network in Korea, involved 153 coffee and fast-food franchise locations nationwide.

Officials discovered that 18 of the locations investigated served drinks or used ice containing either harmful germs or levels of bacteria deemed risky to human health.

The food administration said it found, for instance, that the Hyperion Starbucks in eastern Seoul used ice contaminated with staphylococcus aureus, which is known to cause food poisoning. The ice also contained 12 times the maximum number of a certain type of bacteria allowable by law.

The Rosebud coffee shop located in Bucheon Station also tested positive for the staphylococcus aureus.

Officials ordered that both shops be shut down for one month as punishment.

Ice at the Hollys Coffee branch in Gwangbok-dong, Busan, contained 15 times the amount of bacteria allowed, while an Incheon branch of Korea-based fast-food franchise Lotteria sold iced coffee containing 34 times the allowable level. Although bacteria at these levels do not immediately cause food poisoning, it is still considered harmful, according to the state-run food safety watchdog.

The investigation also found that ice or iced coffees from branches of Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Burger King, Sweet Buns, Angel-in-us Coffee, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Tom N Toms Coffee tested positive for colon bacillus. All of these locations have been ordered shut for 15 days.

More details of the investigation, including a list [in Korean] of the shops found with harmful bacteria, can be found on the KFDA Web site, http://kfda.go.kr.

By Seo Ji-eun [spring@joongang.co.kr]