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Preventing Health Risks Associated with Drinking Unpasteurized or Untreated Juice
Orange, apple, grape or cranberry- juice comes in many different flavors. Juice provides essential nutrients that help keep people healthy. Consumers today have numerous choices when it comes to drinking juice. One of the decisions they must make is whether to buy pasteurized or unpasteurized juice. Though illness due to juice is rare, several outbreaks of diarrheal illness due to juice have been reported in the United States in the last decade. Most outbreaks of illness due to juice have been linked to untreated or inadequately treated juice products. Most juice sold in the United States is treated. One of the most common treatments used is pasteurization.
Some outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to juice:
1996: Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to untreated apple juice sold in multiple states
2003: Outbreak of Cryptosporidium infections linked to apple cider inadequately treated with ozone
2005: Outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to inadequately treated orange juice marketed as ‘fresh squeezed’ and sold in multiple states
To minimize health risk, young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems should not consume packaged juice that bears the above warning label or any other form of juice that is known to be untreated (e.g. untreated juice served by the glass at a roadside cider stand). Anyone who wishes to reduce their risk may follow this recommendation.
If it is unclear that a juice has been treated to destroy harmful bacteria, avoid drinking it.
Information by: CDC http://www.cdc.gov/foodborne/juice_spotlight.htm
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