Buying Bagged Ice? Look for This Seal on the Package Before You Buy

Key Points

• The FDA regulates bagged ice as food and requires it to be produced, stored, and transported under sanitary conditions, but freezing does not necessarily kill bacteria.

• Commercially produced bagged ice is generally considered low risk, especially when it comes from a reputable manufacturer and is sold in a sealed, undamaged package.

• When buying bagged ice, look for ice labeled "purified" or bearing the International Packaged Ice Association's Seal of Accreditation, and keep the bag frozen until use.

Bagged ice is a summertime staple, whether you're filling a cooler for the beach or stocking up for a backyard barbecue. In fact, the average American buys four bags of ice each year, and 80% of those purchases happen between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

But there's something you may not think about when grabbing a bag from the freezer: Ice is considered a food and is regulated as such. And while commercially produced ice is generally considered safe, freezing doesn't necessarily eliminate bacteria or other potential contaminants.

"It is not sterile and should not be treated as inherently safe simply because it is frozen," says Darin Detwiler , PhD, author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a Northeastern University professor.

That doesn't mean you need to go back to filling ice cube trays. But food safety experts say there are a few things worth knowing before you toss your next bag into the cart.

How is bagged ice regulated by the FDA?

Because bagged ice is considered a food, it is regulated by the FDA and must meet the agency's Current Good Manufacturing Practices for Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food. That means manufacturers must produce, store, and transport ice under sanitary conditions; follow requirements for employee cleanliness and hygiene; use safe, sanitary water; and properly clean and maintain equipment used during production.

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However, the FDA does not inspect small packaged-ice producers that make and package ice directly for consumers. The agency also doesn't inspect restaurants and other food-service establishments that make ice for drinks or use it to cool food. Those operations are subject to state and local regulations.

What are the food safety risks of bagged ice?

Like other foods, ice can become contaminated during production, storage, or handling. "Pathogens such as Salmonella , norovirus, Shigella, Campylobacter , and E. coli O157 have been linked to outbreaks in the past, and some of them have been detected in testing surveys," says Francisco Diez-Gonzalez , PhD, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.

More recently, a 2024 investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) into a Salmonella outbreak at a county fair traced the source to ice in a cooler. And in 2021, Wegmans recalled several lots of seven-pound bags of ice because of the "potential presence of foreign material," which turned out to be metal shavings.

"Certainly, poor hygiene, [inadequate] cleaning practices, or the use of unfiltered water could result in contamination," says John A. Sellick, Jr. , DO, an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo/SUNY. "Freezing will not kill most bacteria; it will slow and prevent replication, which then resumes with the melt."

How to choose a safer bag of ice

Bagged ice is generally considered safe, but it's still worth giving the package a quick once-over before putting it in your cart. Here are a few things to look for:

• Look for the IPIA seal.The International Packaged Ice Association's Seal of Accreditation indicates that the manufacturer meets the organization's standards for water quality, sanitation, production, and distribution.

• Check the bag.Choose ice in a sealed package without tears, punctures, or leaks.

• Look for the manufacturer.The package should identify who made or distributed the ice and provide contact information.

• Check the label.Ice labeled "purified" has undergone additional treatment, such as filtration or another purification process.

• Skip damaged or leaking bags.If a bag is open, torn, or leaking, choose another one.

• Keep it frozen.Headed home? Keep the bag frozen as much as possible and put it in the freezer promptly.

What safety standards does bagged ice have to meet?

Bagged-ice manufacturers must meet certain standards set by the FDA. During inspections, agency officials may evaluate whether a facility's plumbing prevents contamination of the water supply or stored ice, whether the water meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for drinking water, and whether the manufacturing facility and surrounding grounds are kept sanitary.

Some manufacturers also use filtration systems that allow their products to be labeled " purified ice ." Shoppers can also look for the International Packaged Ice Association's (IPIA) Seal of Accreditation on the package. Companies can display the seal if they meet the organization's Packaged Ice Quality Control Standards (PIQCS), which cover water quality, sanitation, production, storage, and distribution. Reddy Ice , the nation's largest ice supplier, sells filtered, IPIA-accredited ice.

Is store-bought bagged ice safe?

Despite the potential for contamination, food safety experts say commercially produced bagged ice is generally considered safe. But shoppers who want an additional indicator of how their ice was produced can look for the IPIA seal. "Bagged ice is a relatively safe food product, especially if it follows the International Packaged Ice Association standards," Diez-Gonzalez says. "I personally do not have any concerns buying bagged ice from a reputable brand."

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Detwiler says he sometimes avoids ice in restaurants and always does so while flying. "The more complicated the chain of water sourcing, ice production, storage, transportation, handling, and service becomes, the more opportunities there can be for controls to fail," he says. But Detwiler says it's "relatively low risk" to use a sealed bag of commercially produced ice from a reputable manufacturer.

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