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Food Safety Works Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network

SAFEFOOD NEWS - Winter 2000 - Vol 4 / No. 2

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Potential Sources of Juice Contamination

Since July 1998, the FDA has required that all juice products not specifically processed to destroy harmful bacteria (i.e., processed to achieve a 5-log reduction in the most resistant pathogen of public health concern) must bear a warning statement informing consumers of the potential risk of foodborne illness associated with the product.

Potential sources of contamination include water, animals, insects or birds, all of which may carry human pathogens. In addition, fruit can become contaminated if warm fruit is submerged into cold, contaminated water or if vulnerable external points of fruit are immersed in contaminated water. Under certain conditions, equipment also has been shown to cross contaminate both fresh apple and orange juice during processing.

Survival of pathogens, both plant and human, has been demonstrated in both produce and juice. In laboratory studies, human pathogens have been found in or on tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon and apples. Also, numerous studies have shown that human pathogens can survive in both apple and orange juice, despite their natural acidity.

Source: Potential for Infiltration, Survival & Growth of Human Pathogens within Fruits & Vegetables, DFSAN/FDA, Nov. 1999, http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/juicback.html.

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Updated Monday, August 29, 2011