The Disturbing Reason You Might Want To Skip That Gas Station Slushy

When you're on a long drive, there are few better treats during a pit stop than a gas station slushy. Sweet, cold, and refreshing, these icy beverages are a road trip classic. But hold on, as there's a potentially disturbing reason you might want to skip that gas station slushy. That's because the insides of a commercial slushy machine can harbor a dark secret that might make you swear them off entirely.

In short, slushy machines can be filthy. The combination of sugar, moisture, and dark, tight spaces makes them a prime breeding ground for harmful bacteria and mold. If they're not cleaned often and correctly, all sorts of nastiness can form on the inside. With everything else that could be hiding in the confines of the machines that make your favorite frozen treats, you may want to think twice about ordering that Wendy's Frosty or 7-11 slushy.

Ideally, these kinds of machines should be cleaned every single day. However, that's not necessarily the case, even in gas stations with the best food and drink. Consider that gas stations and other places where frozen drinks are sold are typically focused on speed and efficiency. While these machines are profitable, they aren't always the main focus of operations and may not get that daily cleaning. 

Of course, if gas station employees are diligently cleaning that machine on a regular basis, you're probably just fine — especially if the rest of the store area is clean and orderly. But if they're not, an example of the yuckiness commonly found hiding in slushy machines is a pink slime called Serratia marcescens, which is commonly mistaken for mold but is actually a cluster of bacteria called a biofilm. If accidentally ingested, it can cause food poisoning, digestive issues, or breathing problems. 

Mold can grow in ice machines, too, and accidentally eating mold, while fine for most people, can lead to severe health issues depending on the type of mold and if a person has a compromised immune system. It's even possible for these kinds of machines to harbor serious disease-causing pathogens like E. coli and norovirus. While it's not a certainty that they're there or that people will get sick from using one, it's still a chilling thought.

Perhaps the most disturbing part? It's not just slushy machines. Any similar kind of machine, whether it's slushy or ice cream machines, ice and soda dispensers in a restaurant, or even the bagged ice you buy from the store can be contaminated. Before you panic, the chance anything will happen is small ... but not zero. If a gas station seems seriously understaffed or under-cleaned, or you're ever unsure, perhaps you should just grab a bottled drink from the cooler instead.