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Unpasteurized apple cider can make you sick. Here’s what to know before sipping the fall favorite.
Apple cider is a fall favorite, but in some cases it can make you sick if you’re not careful. Local health department are warning consumers to take notice if their cider is unpasteurized because of the risk of potential foodborne illness.
Apple cider, made from fresh apples, “is typically a bit murky and golden-colored because its unfiltered and unpasteurized. Most apple orchards don’t take the time to pasteurize because it is not required,” Illinois’s Ogle County Health Department shared on social media. “Apple cider that has NOT been pasteurized can contain harmful bacteria that can make people sick.”
The Fulton County Health Department in Georgia shared similar messaging. “Make sure to check labels this fall — it’s required to disclaim if the product has been heat treated or not,” the department wrote, adding that if you do purchase unpasteurized cider from an orchard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends boiling it for at least 1 minute before drinking.
While most juice sold in the United States is pasteurized or heat-treated to kill harmful bacteria, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, untreated juices or ciders can pop up, including at some grocery stores, health food stores, cider mills, farmers’ markets and juice bars.
These packaged products are required to have the following message on the label: “WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and therefore may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.”
But this label is not required for juice or cider sold by the glass, which is common at apple orchards, farmers’ markets, roadside stands, juice bars and some restaurants, the FDA notes.
That’s why the FDA urges consumers to look at labels and ask if they are unsure.
“Don’t hesitate to ask if the labeling is unclear or if the juice or cider is sold by the glass,” the agency’s website states.
Those most at risk for serious illnesses or even death from drinking unpasteurized juices (or unpasteurized raw milk) include children, older adults age 65+, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.