No one wants to find ants in unexpected places. Whether they show up in your home, office or uninvited to a picnic, they can be particularly annoying pests.
But have you considered that they could wind up in your soda at a restaurant?
One server says this may be a legitimate concern for customers who order red sodas at restaurants, especially if workers do not run the soda for a moment before filling a drink, to allow whatever might be residing in the soda fountain nozzle to be flushed out.
In her TikTok, user Aubrey (@aubrey_tucker_music) says she would be wary of ordering red soda if her server didn’t flush out the soda fountain nozzle first. Her video received over 610,000 views.
“Hey guys, if your server doesn’t do this before putting your drink in, 99% chance there’s ants in your drink,” she says in the video. “Ants love Red 40.”
She captioned her video elaborating on the nature of her message.
“Psa to all servers and people who eat at restaurants… ants love red 40. And big red… has a LOT of red 40 in [there],” the caption reads.
The Daily Dot attempted to reach out to Aubrey via TikTok direct message and a comment on the video. We could not do so due to her privacy settings.
What is Red 40?
Red 40 is a synthetic red food dye found in popular snacks like Skittles and M&Ms candies, Nacho Cheese Doritos, and Mountain Dew Code Red. It is one of just nine color additives that the Food and Drug Administration has approved for use in food products and beverages. Notably, it is also approved by the European Union, which is known for having more stringent safety requirements for artificial dyes.
In recent years, the red dye has attracted some controversy. Opponents of artificial dyes claiming that it is harmful to consume. It is a known allergen for some folks. And the dye is also thought to cause migraines in some who are allergic.
However, there is not a lot of research to back up the claim that ants are particularly attracted to the dye over other synthetic dyes used to color sugary sodas.
How do ants end up in a soda fountain?
To put it bluntly, ants finding their way into a soda fountain is not uncommon, and it usually means a spill has attracted them in the first place. Ants are attracted to moisture and sugar, making a soda fountain an especially appealing place for the insects. It may also be an indication that the soda fountain is not being cleaned properly. Several components like the nozzles and drip tray should be cleaned daily, if not multiple times a day.
And it’s not just soda fountains. Ants have been known to take up residence in coffee makers too, drawn by the warmth and moisture.
@aubrey_tucker_music Psa to all servers and people who eat at resteraunts… ants love red 40. And big red… has a LOT of red 40 in their
♬ original sound – Aubrey
What do viewers say?
The video was enough to put some viewers off red soda—or any fountain drink, for that matter.
“And a 100% chance I don’t want it if you have to wash the ants out before I drink it!” one commenter wrote.
“Never getting Big Red agin,” another commenter wrote.
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