Q. I read that the lemon wedges put in drinking water in restaurants are often contaminated with germs. Does a slice of lime also contain bacteria? Is it safe to drop a slice of lime in a bottle of Corona beer?
A. A study of lemon slices in restaurants found that two-thirds were contaminated (Journal of Environmental Health, Dec., 2007). It is unlikely that limes are handled differently in a restaurant kitchen, so we suspect that lime wedges might also carry bacteria.
