Apple cider is right there with pumpkin spice as the quintessential fall treat, but health experts recommend taking one quick step before you tip back a glass with your favorite foods. Health departments have been issuing seasonal advisories based on about avoiding unpasteurized juices, which can contain bacteria that cause food poisoning. Bacteria from the fresh apples used to make cider can end up in your drink if the product is not pasteurized, meaning it has not been treated with heat or ultraviolet light to kill harmful pathogens.
Here's what to know to stay safe. The FDA has received reports over the years related to unpasteurized cider and other fruit juices that have caused foodborne illness, generally referred to as food poisoning. Untreated juices and cider can contain bacteria such as salmonella, E.
coli and Cryptosporidium parasites, according to guidelines from the , another country with plenty of apple orchards. Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems can be particularly susceptible to serious illness and even death from drinking unpasteurized cider. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache and body aches, and they usually occur within one to three days of drinking the contaminated juice.
The majority of the juice sold in the U.S. is pasteurized, so most of the products at your local grocery store are not a concern in that regard.
Most juice made from concentrate, plus cider in cans, bottles and .