Iced coffees are now part of the ‘hot’ beverage menu all year round.  For iced coffee you obviously need ice – and one of the biggest issues around ice machines and ice handling is hygiene.   Every year there are stories in the media about what’s been found on ice in pubs, coffee shops, fast food outlets and so on.

The hygiene issue is even more to the fore with the advent of COVID-19 and now Hubbard Systems has launched a clever new feature from Scotsman called XSafe, which offers huge benefits in terms of sanitising icemaker interiors.

The XSafe technology uses ozone, generated by ultraviolet light, to create activated oxygen, which destroys bacteria and viruses while significantly inhibiting the growth of nasties like mould, mildew, yeast, slime and odours.  Because the activated oxygen is blown throughout the ice machine, it creates a hygienic environment, enhancing the cleanliness of the ice and hence improving food safety.  In lab tests against known viruses XSafe technology has been found to eliminate 99.9% of respiratory viruses in 0.44 seconds and will eradicate coronaviruses.

Ice machines pose a few design challenges in order to take advantage of the disinfectant powers of UV light. Putting a lightbulb in the storage bin would leave anything covered by the ice untreated. XSafe is an integrated unit that processes air constantly, pumping it throughout the bin ensuring the activated oxygen is distributed evenly, everywhere. This helps reduce contamination by more than 99%, as well as prolonging the working life of the equipment by up to 30% while reducing cleaning costs by at least 50%.

XSafe is available on a wide range of Scotsman icemakers. Learn more about Scotsman XSafe – Click Here >>>