Beware ice and lemon with drinks

When you travel a lot, as I do, you have to be extra careful of your stomach. For me, that includes special caution about ice in drinks and the skins of fruit.

Yet even in the United States, it seems, there could be risks lurking in your glass.

A recent academic study of 67 lemons from 21 restaurants sampled during 43 visits found that 70% were contaminated with a total of 25 microbial species. Health code regulations require staff to use tongs or gloves, but apparently they rarely do.

It so happens that I very seldom have any drink with ice or lemon and certainly not a sparkling mineral water. Just as well.

For more information about the research, go to aloving@pccc.edu.