[Mikitv]

Are your lemon wedges dirtier than you think?
Many of our customers forwarded the video links from HealthInspections.com and YouTube to us about a recent study that examines the cleanliness of lemon wedges that you get in your water, iced tea and drinks at restaurants. (View Health Inspections video.)

The lemon wedge study was done by Anne LaGrange Loving, a New Jersey professor and microbiologist. (The results of the study were published in The Journal of Environmental Health, Dec. 2007.) The study looked at lemon wedges from 21 restaurants and found that 69% of them had high counts of bacteria that could potentially make you sick (e-coli, etc.).

Professor Loving's hypothesis is that many restaurant workers don't use tongs or gloves when handling the lemon wedges which go on/in the glass so the lemon wedges may be picking up bacteria from the restaurant workers bare hands. She also suggests that lemon wedges may be cut on cutting boards which aren't properly cleaned. (Since restaurant workers may not think of a lemon wedge as something you eat, they may cut corners on cleanliness.)

Professor Loving is quick to point out that this study identifies a potential problem but people shouldn't panic. However, just to be on the safe side, Professor Loving no longer gets a lemon wedge with her water or beverage at a restaurant. And as many of you wrote to us, this is yet another reason that you carry True Lemon with you where ever you go. It provides fresh-squeezed lemon taste conveniently and without any sanitary concerns!

Also, watch the news story from St. Louis's KMOV TV which did it's own lemon wedge study.