UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With the turning of the leaves comes the opportunity to buy fresh-squeezed apple cider from roadside stands on crisp fall afternoons in the country. But a food safety expert from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences warns that caution should be exercised when enjoying that seasonal treat.

"Unpasteurized apple cider has been the culprit in several food poisoning incidents in recent years," says Luke Laborde, assistant professor of food science. "To guard against foodborne bacteria, it's important to check what you're getting.

"Consumption of unpasteurized apple cider has been associated with bacterial illness caused by E. coli 0157:H7 or salmonella," Laborde says. "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the very young, the elderly and those whose immune systems are compromised should refrain from drinking unpasteurized apple cider.

"All retailers who sell unpasteurized cider are required to post a warning on the label saying that the cider hasn't been pasteurized and that those specific groups of people shouldn't consume it, or at least should consume it with that knowledge in mind. If you're not sure what you're buying, ask the person who's selling the apple cider. The seller is required to tell you whether it's pasteurized or not."

Laborde estimates that up to 98 percent of apple cider and apple juice sold nationally is pasteurized, with roadside stands and smaller producers being the typical exceptions. Most retailers now require producers to pasteurize their juices, he points out, but the cost of the equipment required -- which can exceed $20,000 -- presents an economic barrier to the small farmer looking only at seasonal sales at a roadside stand.

"This has been taken into account by the FDA," he says. "New technologies are being encouraged that might be more affordable for the smaller processor. Some of the newer technologies use lower-temperature ultraviolet radiation to pasteurize less expensively. Other technologies are coming but are more experimental and less proven."

The pressing and sale of unpasteurized apple cider is, of course, a rural tradition that has endured for many years. Laborde acknowledges that many people have enjoyed unpasteurized cider for years with no ill effect. The labeling, he says, is the FDA's effort to cut the risk for everyone.

"Although apple cider outbreaks are sporadic, E. coli poisoning from cider recently sickened seven people in Oklahoma -- mostly children, and some very seriously," he says. "We also saw outbreaks in Canada last year, in Connecticut in 1996 and in Massachusetts in 1991," he says. "The FDA recommends these precautions for our protection, but ultimately, the decision is up to you.

"Some people say there's a difference in taste between pasteurized and unpasteurized cider, but most people can't tell. If the cider's been pasteurized by one of the more modern processes that brings the temperature up quickly and drops it rapidly, there's very little damage to the quality. The situation is similar to raw milk several decades ago. People used to complain that pasteurized milk didn't have the same flavor, but now no one seems to mind, because pasteurization is a uniform standard."

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Luke Laborde at 814-863-2298.

Contacts: Gary Abdullah GXA2@PSU.EDU 814-863-2708 814-865-1068 fax