There's Something You Should Know Before Ordering A Wendy's Frosty

Wendy's is well known for their square burger patties and signature shakes, which seem like a match made in heaven. While nothing quite hits the spot on a hot summer day like a Frosty, we can't help but wonder if there's a catch. Well, a Reddit thread spilled the beans about what not to order at fast food restaurants and included some words of caution about Wendy's Frosty. 

According to u/sofiercexstar, a purported Wendy's employee, many employees fail to clean the Frosty machine correctly. This really isn't that surprising, as unclean soft serve machines are fairly common. After all, this is often the reason why McDonald's employees say their machine is broken (although a recent ruling concerning machine repairs may be good for McFlurry fans). However, in addition to cleaning issues, the Redditor explained that leftovers from the Frosty machine are poured into buckets at night and left in the fridge, sometimes uncovered. These leftovers are then put back into the machine the next morning, ready for a lucky customer.

Essentially, a Wendy's Frosty is thick, soft-serve ice cream and soft-serve machines are notorious for being among the dirtiest in the fast food industry. In an investigation conducted by Inside Edition, samples were taken from machines at 40 locations across Seattle and tested for bacteria. Nine of the 40 had high coliform counts, a sign of unsanitary conditions.

Of course, a Frosty itself isn't necessarily bad. Ultimately, whether or not it's gross depends on how often the soft-serve machine is thoroughly cleaned and if the mixture is correctly stored and handled. We're definitely not saying you should swear the shake off forever, because the chances of becoming sick are slim, but it's still worth being aware of if you're a fan. 

While ice cream can be made without a machine, at places like Wendy's, where hundreds or thousands of customers are served daily, a machine makes things way easier. A Frosty machine is a hybrid soft-serve and shake machine. Like a standard soft-serve dispenser, it needs to be cleaned thoroughly every day. This means disassembling the machine, cleaning each tiny piece, and letting everything dry before putting it all back together. All of this takes time, and at a busy fast food restaurant, that can be in short supply. 

When a machine isn't cleaned regularly, the ice cream mixture — or in Wendy's case, the Frosty mixture — can harden inside, leading to mechanical issues. Unclean machines are also dangerous from a health perspective. For instance, they can be a breeding ground for listeria bacteria, one reason why pregnant women are advised to avoid soft-serve. (Listeria infection, caused by Listeria monocytogenes, is the third leading cause of foodborne illness-related death in the U.S., according to the CDC.) Additionally, how the Frosty mixture is handled can be a concern, as mixtures have a very narrow safe temperature range. If they're stored improperly or mishandled, or if a temperature malfunction isn't caught, harmful bacteria can flourish. 

All of that being said, if you really want a Frosty, check how clean your local Wendy's is inside. If it looks like the employees are keeping up with cleaning, you may not have anything to worry about. Additionally, you can always ask how often the Frosty machine is cleaned. You might get an honest employee who's willing to steer you right if they know their machine isn't being maintained properly.