Will you buy drinks sold in a reused bottle?

[MarrickG]

STOMPer SradX witnessed a worker washing used Kathira drink bottles at the back of a coffeeshop, apparently for them to be reused.

Kathira is a drink with jelly-like sago sold during the fasting month for Muslims.

In his email, SradX said:

"On Tuesday, Aug 17, about 3.15pm, while I was passing through the main entrance of coffeeshop, Makan Shiok in Jurong West, I saw a male staff cleaning some empty plastic bottles at the washing bay among other dirty plates that was placed in a big tub.

"I noticed that he was cleaning used plastic bottles that contain leftover Kathira drinks to be reused.

"Kathira is a very popular drink that will make its appearance during the month of Ramadan.

"While walking back to the main entrance, I saw another staff pushing ready to be sold Kathira drinks that have been bottled into the company van among other foods that have been wrapped in aluminium foil. I believed they are to be sent somewhere else.

"I took photos and a video of the staff that cleaning the bottles. I also asked him why he was cleaning the used empty bottles.

"His reply to me was that he was cleaning new bottles for Kathira drinks to be bottled. When I told him that there weren’t any new bottles except for the used ones, he kept quiet for a moment and started repeating in a tense manner saying, 'I don’t know, boss asked me to do. So, I do'.

"Any agency out there can help clarify whether it is safe to buy and consume this particular product?

"I just want to be safe before another Indian Rojak case emerged as this is only the seventh day of Ramadan."

 

[Teo Kok Eng]

Disaster waiting to happen... wait for some massive food poisoning case, then gahment act.

The seller is better off selling the drinks in plastic bags like those hawkers in Malaysia or Thailand. It is so much hygenic

 

[po2wq]

plates, bowls, forks, spoons ... all can wash n use again wat! ... bottles cannot do ze same, meh? ...

 

[Dian Wei]

What? I thought this happens only in Mudland?

 

[poore]

wah ...so unhygienic.... wait like yog food poisoning.....

 

[hillary888]

Plastic bottles used for bottled water, especially the softer plastic bottles, are dangerous to our health and even more so if we wash them then reuse them! The plastic bottles contain toxic chemicals and in time the plastic begins to break down and releases these toxins and does so far quicker if the bottles are reused. If you can taste the plastic as you are drinking the water then you are drinking the plastic!

 

[Leongsam]

In the "good old days", all glass soft drink bottles were reused.

A bottle of Coke cost 20¢ and a 5¢ refund was given for each bottle returned to the kopi tiam.

 

[halsey02]

In the "good old days", all glass soft drink bottles were reused.

A bottle of Coke cost 20¢ and a 5¢ refund was given for each bottle returned to the kopi tiam.

You remember one of the Hui Brothers film? where Sam Hui works in a bottling plant & his job was to remove the used straws from the bottles on a conveyor belt & the bottles were being sent for washing...

During my younger days I have visited a bottling factory, in fact, thereafater for many months I avoided areated bottle drinks...you should see how they wash them bottles...

:p

 

[po2wq]

You remember one of the Hui Brothers film? where Sam Hui works in a bottling plant & his job was to remove the used straws from the bottles on a conveyor belt & the bottles were being sent for washing ...

datz half kati 8 tahils ...

 

[Leongsam]

During my younger days I have visited a bottling factory, in fact, thereafater for many months I avoided areated bottle drinks...you should see how they wash them bottles...

:p

I probably drank more than a thousand litres of coke from those bottles and nothing ever happened. :p

 

[halsey02]

I probably drank more than a thousand litres of coke from those bottles and nothing ever happened. :p

That is true, nothing beats opening a coke bottle with metal cap with a bottle opening...'pop'..'fizzzz'...ahhh!!

But, visiting a bottling plant, especially the section, where they receive your 5cts return bottle...leave little to imagination...and I bet to will stop drinking aerated bottled drinks for a few months....:p

 

[Ramseth]

Olden days soft drink bottles looked alright even when re-used as they were glass, machine washed and recapped. Modern plastic bottles don't look alright. Let's say, new versus new, you drink a hot cup of tea from porcelain or plastic cup, or a cold glass of beer from glass or plastic cup, I'm sure you can tell it tastes differently.

 

[vamjok]

this is definately not ok. as far as i know such container were meant to be used once and throw. you can reuse it once or twice that is fine, but not more than that. there are a lot studies that shows astonishing amount of bacteria actually lived in it after few reuse. its definately not healthy even after washing. i can quote and find the paper for you guys if really required. you guys may say washing will do the job...yes...BUT...most of these plastic will be damage under warm and proper/harsh washing condition. these scratches etc are perfect for the colony of bacteria to grow

2nd risk involved is the leaking of the plasticizer. plasticizer are not covalently linked (in lay man term means not permanently attached) to the plastic polymer. after a few reuse they actually leaked out slowly. most that has chances to come in contact with food are in general known to be safe to human. BUT i am not comfortable in taking in chemical, its a personal choice.

as many were saying incident of bottles reusing, well those are fine as its glass. glass are very smooth on surface and relatively inert to most substances. things can be easily wash off and removed its surface. that the main difference.

http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/Newsletters/research09.htm