The coffee temperature conundrum

The question concerning hot drinks and safety is back in the news, but there appears to be an answer forming in Australia.

Two decades removed from a 1994 lawsuit that was set to cost fast-food chain McDonald’s a whopping $2.9m – the fine was later reduced to $640,000 before the case was eventually settled out of court – McDonald’s are facing the music once again.

A Los Angeles woman is suing the company for allegedly serving her a coffee that was so hot that the drink badly burned her. It is a serious instance of deja-vu for the globally known company. The original case brought about worldwide media attention and did not escape criticism; it became a rallying call for those advocating legal reform. However, amidst that, the innocent party did receive third-degree burns and required skin-graft surgery. Underneath the barbs from comedians there was a very serious news story.

This case, filed by Paulette Carr on behalf of an unnamed individual, claims that she was injured two years ago after ordering coffee at the branch located on Sepulveda Boulevard in the Van Nuys neighbourhood of Los Angeles. She is seeking an unspecified amount of monetary compensation according to the lawsuit filed with the L.A County Superior Court.

‘The lid for the hot coffee was negligently, carelessly and improperly place on the coffee cup [which resulted] in the lid coming off the top of the coffee at the window, causing the hot coffee to spill onto the plaintiff’ Carr said.

Though cases like this are, thankfully rare, it does bring to light the serving temperatures of hot beverages. Obviously, drinks should not be produced at a heat that can cause physical damage as allegedly described in the case above. According to figures released by the American Burn Association, each year there are around 150,000 cases of hot liquid scalds that require medical attention in the United States each year.

But how hot is too hot? Accidents and negligence aside, guzzling down a drink unaware of the temperature can burn the mouth and it’s something that we probably have all done at one point or other in our lives. It can be an exercise in trial and error.

However there appears to be a potential solution on the horizon hailing from the land down under.

The Smart Lid, developed by Smart Lid Systems, is a heat-sensitive lid that changes colour depending on the temperature given off by the drink. Anything over 48ºC (118ºF) and the specially designed plastic turns a shocking red which serves as a warning. As the drink cools, the red turns into a more subtle, burgundy shade indicating that the contents are safe to consume.

Smart Lid director, Anthony Bayss’ said; ‘the number one question we receive every day comes from North America and from Europe, asking when the Smart Lid will be available.’ The answer appears to be now as international shipping options are available on the company website

Availably predominantly in Australia, we expect to see this idea take off.

picture: Smart Lid Systems