A block of ice is laid on the ground. When a small axe is smashed against it, it breaks into smaller pieces that splatter across the shop's wooden floor. Then a man — with no gloves — drops chunks of ice into a crushing machine. A white plastic sack — washed and reused — is put underneath for the crushed ice. The sack is now ready to be sold for 50 baht a time.
"If you want to order ice for consumption, I'll wash the block before crushing it," said a smiling female ice vendor at a fresh market in the heart of Bangkok. She supplies ice to various street stalls in the area, which goes into the drinks we have with our bowl of noodles or rice.
From the first time ice was consumed in Thailand during the reign of King Rama IV, it has become indispensable, especially in 30C weather. As heat is best quenched from the inside, we turn to cubes of frozen water to make this season somewhat bearable. Today, ice served in our glasses comes from a few sources: factories that supply ice cubes to convenience stores, or more traditional, shophouse-style ice vendors who serve stalls and neighbourhood eateries.
Questions of quality and hygiene are of paramount importance when we consume ice with as much regularity as we do rice.
"Ice is just like water. If it's dirty, then we can get sick from consuming it," said Assoc Prof Dr Visith Chavasit, director of The Institute of Nutrition at Mahidol University. Consuming unclean water or ice can cause stomach ache, diarrhoea and even food poisoning.
From E. coli to salmonella, all bacteria that can exist in water can also be present in ice. According to Visith, there is a misconception that ice can't really get contaminated since it's frozen — with some people believing that the freezing process kills off the bacteria.
"Cold temperatures can't kill germs," said Visith. "It only stops bacteria from growing. If the water is dirty when it's being frozen, the bacteria merely stops its growth. However, when the ice melts, the bacteria continues to grow."
It is important that the water source, ice-making procedure and equipment, facility and staff handling the ice are hygienic in order to produce consumable ice. The factory also needs to pass different manufacturing standards to ensure the product is safe for consumption.
An ice vendor in one of Bangkok's fresh food markets.
Ukrit Kungsawanich, owner of an ice factory in Rayong, said his facility undergoes inspections two or three times a year, carried out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the Ministry of Public Health. He also submits water samples for tests at the Department of Medical Sciences twice a year, during rainy season and drought, as water quality during the two periods is different.
Straight from the tap, the water is put into a tank for precipitation, with alum sometimes added to aid the process. Afterwards, the water is filtered, which then continues its way into the ice-making machine.
All factories should be certified by good manufacturing practices (GMP). These standards and procedures are shared by most other ice factories, said Ukrit.
Currently, ice is made in either a big block, generally used to cool fresh food, or in small cubes suitable for direct consumption. It can then be broken apart into smaller pieces, either crushed or shaved, for use in desserts or drinks.
With regulations being imposed on the facility and producers, ice from factories is pretty safe to consume. It is, however, the process afterwards — transportation and storage — that remains worrying.
"The factory does not transport the ice. We only make it, then different agents buy ice from us. I work with about 25 agents from around the province. They bring their pickup trucks to take the ice. Whether the vehicles are clean or not, we never know. We have no control over them," said Ukrit. "In the end, people still blame the ice factory if there's a problem."
The image of strong men, often shirtless, dragging a sack of ice along the floor can still be seen in some fresh food markets. Some ice blocks are also placed on the ground. When people carry it away, with no boots and gloves, we never know where that block of ice will end up. It could be put into a machine, crushed to small pieces, ready to be put in one or our drinks.
Tipvon Parinyasiri, director of the Bureau of Food at the FDA, said that the current law only ensures safety and sanitation within the walls of ice-making facilities. Beyond that, without regulation and inspection, anything can happen to the ice before it arrives in shops and restaurants.
Many things are kept in the same container as ice, which may lead to contamination.
"Ice blocks have a high chance of contamination as there are no proper bags," said Tipvon. "The smaller ice cubes, usually made and bagged with machines, are generally safer. However, in some restaurants, they serve ice cubes which have been stored in the same containers as fish, meat and vegetables. That could bring about contamination."
Still, there is hope. A new food bill, already passed through the Council of Ministers, will soon go to the National Legislative Assembly. It is set to cover safe food transportation, storage and distribution — not only the production and manufacturing process.
For now, said Tipvon, it is best for consumers to buy ice from trustworthy chains of convenience stores, as they do undergo most inspections and are up to standard. The plastic bag that contains ice — stamped with FDA and GMP seals — should also be labelled with blue ink as safe to consume, and stored in a closed container to prevent contamination. There should be no tear in the bag.
Another option, added Visith, is to make ice at home from bottled or filtered water. However, the refrigerator, as well as the ice mould, should be cleaned regularly. Some may opt to wash ice. That helps in cases of improper transportation. However, that is useless if the water source itself is contaminated.
In the end, observation before consumption is one of the best screening methods to get rid of germs and dirt that may come with ice. In roadside food stalls, or even in cafes and restaurants, always check if there's dust or dregs floating in the drink before taking a swig. If you detect any apparent impurities, it is best to put the glass down.
