Health officials are warning the public to carefully read the label on their apple cider this fall.
A single detail could make the difference between enjoying a seasonal drink and suffering from a severe upset stomach.
The Ogle County Health Department in Illinois alerted consumers that apple cider that has not been pasteurized may contain harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which can make people seriously ill.
The Fulton County Health Department in Illinois issued a similar warning, adding that infants and young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk of contracting bacterial illnesses from unpasteurized products.
Apple cider is made from fresh apples and is usually cloudy with a golden hue because it is generally unfiltered and unpasteurized. Pasteurization kills bacteria and extends the shelf life of an item.
When apples fall from their trees, they come into contact with soil and possibly animal feces, which coat the apple in bacteria. Pasteurization uses heat to kill harmful bacteria and other microorganisms that remain in the cider.
The FDA has received reports of food poisoning related to apple cider in the past, but there is no specific annual average for cases.
The agency added that most juice sold in the U.S. is pasteurized, but some grocery stores, health food stores, mills, farmers markets and juice bars sell packaged cider made on site that has not been properly treated.
The Ogle County Health Department said, “Most apple orchards do not take the time to pasteurize because it is not necessary.”
Warm apple cider is a popular cold-weather treat, but always check that the cider you’re about to drink is pasteurized.
The department added: ‘Protect vulnerable people at higher risk of foodborne illness by checking labels for pasteurization. It is required to deny whether the product has been heat treated or not.’
Unpasteurized apple cider caused an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses in Illinois nine years ago caused by cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite that is a leading cause of waterborne illnesses in the United States.
More than 100 people who attended or drank cider at the Pike County Fall Festival in 2015 became ill and reported profuse bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting.
In Northern California, seven people became ill after drinking unpasteurized cider contaminated with E. coli in 2017.
Two years earlier, around 13 cases of E. coli had been confirmed in another orchard in the area.
One of the most notable outbreaks of illness linked to unpasteurized cider occurred in 1996, when about 70 people became ill and one died due to E. coli in the juice.
A joint statement from the Pike and Adams County health departments at the time said: ‘This cider was not produced at a licensed cider maker or orchard.
‘On the farm near where the cider press was located there were cattle. Cattle, especially young calves, are known to carry cryptosporidium. The presence of livestock near a cider press can cause contamination of the manure.’
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Keith Schneider, a professor in the department of food sciences and human nutrition at the University of Florida, told the Washington Post: “For me, the benefits of drinking unpasteurized apple cider do not outweigh the risks.”
The CDC recommends that anyone buying unpasteurized apple cider boil it for at least 30 seconds before drinking it.
But boiling it for much longer can cause the apples to caramelize, destroying most of the nutritional value of the drink.
The Fulton County Health Department echoed Ogle County’s message and urged people to read labels carefully.
The label on raw juice should say: “WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and therefore may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.”
If you buy apple cider from a vendor at a farmers market or orchard, ask if it has been pasteurized before drinking it.
