High Street Coffee Doesn’t Just Taste Shit

There’s so much shit in the news these days that you’d be forgiven for missing one story about the coffee that so many people drink. An investigation has found that ice from Costa, Caffe Nero and Starbucks contains faecal bacteria. That’s right, people – poo. The nation reacted with horror but should the finding really come as a surprise?

Ice, Ice, Maybe

Dicey ice is no new thing. Anyone who has been to countries with questionable water sources will tell you not to accept ice in your drinks. The NHS and Government websites also advise against it as it’s likely made from dodgy water and stored in poor conditions.

Faeces in British ice isn’t even new. Faecal bacteria was found in a Birmingham KFC store in 2016 but we’re guessing that most KFC fans have continued to drink their coke and lemonade.

The bacteria the BBC study found is usually present in the bowels of animals – which is how it got its name – but it’s important to know that’s not the only place it’s found. Faecal coliform is a large bacterial group that naturally finds its way onto many things, including fruit and vegetables.

That doesn’t mean it’s okay for it to be in your drink. The reason that such bacteria is the subject of tests is that can indicate poor hygiene and the presence of something that might make people ill.

The fact that it was detectable at all suggests there was a substantial amount involved – it wasn’t just the standard 10 microorganisms per millilitre that is usually found in tap water but hundreds.

Although the small-scale investigation only covered 30 stores, scientists have said the results were worrying and the affected stores should be avoided until there is further investigation.

Crap Coffee Is No Surprise

Some of us already do. Anyone who likes proper coffee will tell you that the stuff Starbucks, Costa and many high street chains produce is crap, just on the basis of taste.

That it might really contain crap is somewhat fitting. Many of their beverages taste like they barely caught sight of a coffee bean once upon a time and most are extraordinarily calorific: Caffe Nero’s Caramelatte contains 420 calories, Starbucks’s Java Chip Frappuccino has 332 and Costa adds extra calories when you have your drink “to go”.

None of this bodes well for your health, poop or not.

Of course calories and crap are two very different health hazards but this discovery is the perfect reason to choose a better, healthier iced coffee from an independent cafe and forego the dreaded Frap-poo-ccino for good.

 

by Jo Davey

The post High Street Coffee Doesn’t Just Taste Shit appeared first on Felix Magazine.