An entomology professor says that cockroaches carry several gastrointestinal illnesses after a Markham woman discovered one in her iced coffee from Tim Hortons.
On Mar. 10, Subhana Pira found a cockroach in her iced coffee at the Golden Mile Tim Hortons in Scarborough, after breaking her fast for Ramadan.
Although Tim Hortons staff apologized and offered a $50 gift card and a refund for the drink, they told Pira they didn’t have control over pests in ice coffee packets from the manufacturer, but the location currently implements pest control. Pira’s encounter with Tim Hortons staff was even captured on video.
“Sometimes it comes in the iced coffee packet, it happens,” the employee says in the video.
Tim Hortons admits Pira’s video is concerning, but says it’s confident the cockroach incident didn’t occur during the coffee’s packaging process and cited a recent Toronto Public Health (TPH) inspection which indicated there are no safety or health concerns.
“Our own corporate staff have also been on site since the complaint and saw no issues nor have we had any similar calls from guests when we looked back in the last few months,” Tim Hortons Media Relations told Now Toronto in an email on Monday.
Tim Hortons added that the owner of the franchise that Pira ordered from reached out to her after she threatened to take legal action.
“Given that legal action has been threatened and an unusually large financial demand has been made, we have no further comment at this time,” Tim Hortons said.
Canadians are reacting online to the video of the floating cockroach Pira found in her coffee.
“CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT!!!!,” one TikTok user commented.
“That is a new seasonal drink called spring roach,” another TikTok user said.
TIM HORTONS LOCATION PASSES SAFETY INSPECTION
According to TPH, the Tim Hortons where the incident occurred was inspected for 50 minutes on Mar. 13 and passed.
“Additional visits by a public health inspector will be conducted to ensure pest control is maintained at this location,” a TPH spokesperson told Now Toronto on Monday.
All restaurants in Toronto must receive a minimum of one, two, or three inspections per year depending on the kind of establishment. If they don’t comply with minimum requirements, then they may receive an infraction, according to TPH.
Some requirements include regularly cleaning ceilings and passageways, employee food handling training like ensuring food is not contaminated by hair or other infectious agents, and maintaining records of all pest control measures in the past year.
Along with meeting inspections, all drinking and eating establishments must post the food safety inspection notice near the main entrance.
“For crucial infractions involving pest infestations (including cockroaches) without an effective method of pest control, an Order to Close the premises can be issued and/or immediate action must be taken by the food premise to remove or eliminate the health hazard,” the TPH spokesperson said.
If pest control gets too overwhelming, TPH recommends consulting with a licensed pest control operator to avoid major health hazards, contamination, or illnesses.
COCKROACHES LINKED TO GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESSES
Following Pira’s discovery, University of Manitoba entomology professor Dr. Jason Gibbs warns people about potential sicknesses that can come from cockroaches.
“Cockroaches can potentially vector several unpleasant gastrointestinal illnesses, like salmonella, E. coli, and staph infections. They come into contact with various unpleasant things like uncooked food and waste, and then they can transfer any associated pathogens and parasites on their travels,” Gibbs told Now Toronto on Monday.
Pira vomited right after noticing the cockroach, according to CP24.
Gibbs says it’s not surprising Pira had an unpleasant experience drinking a cockroach-contaminated iced coffee.
“The odds of getting sick likely depend on the specific context – where that cockroach has been and how healthy the person is,” Gibbs said.
As for how Tim Hortons should handle future cockroach scenarios, Gibbs has some advice.
“If you see cockroaches in spaces where you are making or consuming food, then you’d be well-advised to seek out professional pest control services and increase your level of cleanliness. I don’t mean to imply that having a cockroach in your kitchen means you’re not doing a reasonable job of keeping your kitchen clean, but it’s just in your best interest to minimize food sources for the cockroaches,” Gibbs said.
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