Key TakeawaysUnpasteurized apple cider and juice can carry harmful bacteria, potentially leading to food poisoning.Pasteurization heats liquids to kill bacteria likeSalmonella,E. coli, andListeria, reducing the risk of illness.Those at higher risk for severe illness include pregnant people, young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.
Key Takeaways
Unpasteurized apple cider and juice can carry harmful bacteria, potentially leading to food poisoning.Pasteurization heats liquids to kill bacteria likeSalmonella,E. coli, andListeria, reducing the risk of illness.Those at higher risk for severe illness include pregnant people, young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.
Apple cider is a cozy fall beverage often served at farm stands during apple-picking season. However, many people don’t realize that unpasteurized apple cider and apple juice can cause food poisoning.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that unpasteurized juices, including apple cider, can be contaminated. Pasteurization heats liquids to a specific temperature to kill harmful bacteria, reducing the risk of foodborne illness.
With hot cider being a seasonal favorite, local health departments across the country have recently issued advisories about the dangers of unpasteurized cider.
“Most apple orchards don’t take the time to pasteurize because it is not required,” the Ogle County Health Departmentsharedon social media. “Apple cider that has NOT been pasteurized can contain harmful bacteria that can make people sick.”
Here’s what to know about the risks of unpasteurized cider, who is most at risk, and how to ensure your cider is safe before taking that first crisp sip.
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How Does Pasteurization Make Cider Safer?
While pasteurization is often associated with milk, it’s also used for many other products. Pasteurized apple cider or juice is heated to kill harmful pathogens likeSalmonella,E. coli, andListeria, saidDarin Detwiler, LPD, an associate teaching professor at Northeastern University and the author of “Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions."
Pasteurization is “considered an essential ‘kill step’ in the preparation of juice,” Detwiler added.
Unpasteurized cider or juice skips this step, so bacteria from the fruit or introduced during juicing can remain in the final product. Since apples grow outdoors, they often come into contact with soil, water, animals, and manure—all potential sources of harmful pathogens, said Detwiler.
Small-scale or homemade methods can increase the risk of foodborne illness if proper sanitation practices are not followed.
“When harmful bacteria are present in the juice and consumed, they can lead to serious health consequences, including illness, hospitalization, and in extreme cases, death,” added Detwiler.
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How Risky Is Unpasteurized Cider?
Drinking contaminated cider can cause foodborne illness, with symptoms like stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, nausea, and diarrhea. These symptoms can appear between six hours to 10 days after consuming contaminated food or drink, depending on the type of bacteria, according toDiana Guevara, MPH, RD, a registered dietitian with the Nourish Program at UTHealth Houston.
“Just like fresh produce can sometimes get contaminated and cause outbreaks, apples and other fruits grown on farms can come into contact with harmful bacteria as it is handled, processed, or transported on its way to becoming cider or juice,” Guevara told Verywell.
Certain groups are at higher risk for severe foodborne illnesses from drinking unpasteurized products, saidDonald Schaffner, PhD, department chair and distinguished professor in the department of food science at Rutgers University.
These include pregnant people, older adults, young children (especially those under 2 and up to age 5), and people with weakened immune systems or chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, liver disease, HIV, and autoimmune disorders.
Schaffner explained that their immune systems are less capable of fighting off harmful bacteria found in unpasteurized products.
“If I had a young child, a pregnant wife, an elderly parent, or other immunocompromised member of my family, I would strongly recommend that they not consume any unpasteurized juice,” Schaffner said.
Can You Make Apple Cider at Home Safely?To start, make sure your apples and other produce are clean, undamaged, and free of any visible contamination. You also need to wash your hands and thoroughly sanitize all your equipment.Make sure to heat your homemade apple cider to 160 to 185 degrees for a least six seconds to eliminate any harmful bacteria. A pro tip? Use a food thermometer to check the temperature to make sure it’s getting hot enough.
Can You Make Apple Cider at Home Safely?
To start, make sure your apples and other produce are clean, undamaged, and free of any visible contamination. You also need to wash your hands and thoroughly sanitize all your equipment.Make sure to heat your homemade apple cider to 160 to 185 degrees for a least six seconds to eliminate any harmful bacteria. A pro tip? Use a food thermometer to check the temperature to make sure it’s getting hot enough.
To start, make sure your apples and other produce are clean, undamaged, and free of any visible contamination. You also need to wash your hands and thoroughly sanitize all your equipment.
Make sure to heat your homemade apple cider to 160 to 185 degrees for a least six seconds to eliminate any harmful bacteria. A pro tip? Use a food thermometer to check the temperature to make sure it’s getting hot enough.
How to Tell If Your Apple Cider Is Safe
To avoid food poisoning from apple cider, experts suggest the following:
What This Means For YouIf you enjoy apple cider, make sure it’s pasteurized to avoid the risk of foodborne illness. Always check labels or ask vendors about pasteurization, especially when buying from farmers markets or roadside stands. If you’re unsure, heating the cider to 160 degrees can help ensure it’s safe to drink. Pregnant people, young children, and those with compromised immune systems should be particularly cautious.
What This Means For You
If you enjoy apple cider, make sure it’s pasteurized to avoid the risk of foodborne illness. Always check labels or ask vendors about pasteurization, especially when buying from farmers markets or roadside stands. If you’re unsure, heating the cider to 160 degrees can help ensure it’s safe to drink. Pregnant people, young children, and those with compromised immune systems should be particularly cautious.
1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.What you need to know about juice safety.
1 Source
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.What you need to know about juice safety.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Food and Drug Administration.What you need to know about juice safety.
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