Health officials are warning the public to carefully read the label on their apple cider this fall.
One detail can mean the difference between enjoying a seasonal drink and suffering from serious stomach upset.
The Ogle County Health Department in Illinois warned 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, seniors and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk of bacterial illness from unpasteurized goods.
Apple cider is made from fresh apples and is usually cloudy with a golden hue because it is usually unfiltered and unpasteurized. Pasteurization removes bacteria and extends the shelf life of an item.
When apples fall from trees, they come into contact with dirt and possibly animal feces, covering the apple with bacteria. Pasteurization uses heat to kill the harmful bacteria and other microorganisms left in the cider.
The FDA has received reports of food poisoning linked to apple cider in the past, but there is no specific annual average for the cases.
The agency added that most of the juice sold in the U.S. is pasteurized, but some supermarkets, health food stores, mills, farmers markets and juice bars sell packaged cider that is made on site and has not been properly handled .
The Ogle County Health Department said, “Most apple orchards do not take the time to pasteurize because it is not necessary.”
Hot apple cider is a popular treat in cold weather, but always check that the cider you are about to drink is pasteurized
The department added: ‘Protect vulnerable people at increased risk of foodborne illness by checking labels for pasteurisation. It is mandatory to rule out whether the product has undergone heat treatment or not.”
Unpasteurized apple cider led to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in Illinois nine years ago caused by cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite that is one of the leading causes of waterborne illness in the US.
More than 100 people who attended or drank cider at the 2015 Pike County Fall Festival became ill, reporting profuse bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting.
In Northern California, seven people became ill in 2017 after drinking unpasteurized cider contaminated with E. coli.
About thirteen cases of E. coli had been confirmed in another orchard in the area two years earlier.
One of the most notable disease outbreaks 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 health departments of Pike and Adams counties at the time said: “This cider was not produced at a licensed cider manufacturer or orchard.
“There were cattle on the farm near the apple cider press. Cattle, especially young calves, are often known to carry cryptosporidium. The presence of livestock near a cider press can lead to manure contamination.”
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Keith Schneider, a professor in the department of food science and human nutrition at the University of Florida, said WashingtonPost: ‘For me, the benefits of drinking unpasteurized apple cider do not outweigh the risks.’
The CDC recommends that anyone purchasing unpasteurized apple cider boil it for at least 30 seconds before drinking it.
But cooking it much longer can cause the apples to caramelize, losing much of the nutritional value of the drink.
The Fulton County Health Department echoed Ogle County’s message, urging people to read labels carefully.
The label on untreated juice should read: “WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and therefore may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.”
If you buy apple cider from a vendor at a farmer’s market or orchard, ask if the apple cider is pasteurized before drinking it.