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Expect to see warning labels on fresh apple juice and cider products this fall. The labels
are part of new regulations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inform Consumers of
potential risks from unprocessed juices. Particularly vulnerable are children, the elderly and
people with weakened immune systems. Fresh apple juice and apple cider will be labeled first,
followed by warning labels on all unprocessed packaged fruit and vegetable juices.
Why the concern? In a word, E. coli 0157:H7. While fresh unpasteurized juices account for
only 2 percent of the total juice sold in the United States each year, they have been linked to an estimated 16,000 to 48,000 cases of food-borne illness.
The most likely way that fruit becomes contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 is from cow,
sheep, squirrel or deer droppings when the fruit falls to the ground. Cross-contamination from
workers during juice preparation may be another source.
While the acid content of fruit juice prevents many bacteria from growing, this particular
microbe survives quite well in an acid environment. Refrigeration doesn't help much. For example, in one study E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria survived for 31 days in fresh pressed,
unpasteurized apple juice at typical refrigeration temperatures.
E. coli 0157:H7 is an excellent example of a good bacteria gone bad. Whereas most
strains of E. coli are harmless, this particular strain attaches itself to the intestinal wall and releases a toxin that causes severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms
usually take four to five days to appear and last a week or longer. In small children and the elderly, the illness can progress to kidney failure. First reported in 1982, E. coli 0157:H7 has extended its ugly tentacles to many different products, including undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized apple juice, contaminated water and vegetables grown in manure.
To allow flexibility in meeting the new labeling requirement, for up to a year the FDA
will allow manufacturers to place the warning statement on signs and placards displayed at points of purchase.
Products you can count on to be safe from harmful bacteria include juices made from
frozen concentrate, shelf-stable juices in hermetically sealed containers, and canned juices. Juices most likely to be unpasteurized are those found in the grocers' refrigerated sections or sold at cider mills and farm markets. If you can't tell whether a juice product has been processed to destroy harmful bacteria, it's best to not serve it at all, or to bring it to a boil to kill potentially harmful bacteria before serving.
For more information, contact your local
Colorado State University Extension office.
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