By Bahk Eun-ji

More than 40 outlets of coffee shop franchises have been caught for using contaminated ice, the health authority said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety collected 428 iced drinks from coffeehouses across the country from June 10 to July 9, and found 41 branches were using ice that contained a high level of potassium permanganate and germs.

The 41 places included outlets of famous franchises including six branches of Starbucks, seven of Ediya Coffee, five of A Twosome Place and three of Hollys Coffee.

Their ice contained more than the permissible level of potassium permanganate, a common inorganic chemical used in measuring contamination levels of potable water and ice.

One coffee shop served ice with a potassium permanganate level more than 16 times higher than the permissible level of 10 milligrams per liter.

Ice cubes at two of the shops also contained excessive amounts of bacteria.

The ministry notified regional health authorities of the investigation result. The authorities then ordered those shops to shut down their own ice machines before sterilizing and changing filters.

"We will also continuously monitor the sanitary conditions of coffeehouses during the hot and humid summer," a ministry official said

More than 40 coffee franchise outlets including Starbucks and Ediya Coffee have been found to have used contaminated ice cubes, the health ministry said Tuesday. /Korea Times file