Apr 7, 2007
Readers Respond: No Mandatory Pasteurization

Last month, we asked readers to weigh in on the question of mandatory pasteurization of apple cider. We were excited to see that this has been one of our most popular questions of the month.

More than 60 people answered our poll, with more responses coming in via e-mail and our Web site even as I write this column. And at press time, 75 percent of our readers who answered the poll said that there should not be mandatory pasteurization of apple cider, while 25 percent supported the idea.

I took a phone call today from Mike from Wisconsin who said he is adamantly opposed to mandatory pasteurization of apple cider.

In fact, he believes that all issues of pasteurization should be dealt with at the state level – on an individual basis.

Mike followed up with an e-mail to say “Our customers want apple cider just the way we, as an individual orchard and mill, make it.”

Mike wasn’t the only one who stressed strong objections to mandatory pasteurization.

“I am opposed to cider pasteurization if it destroys the enzymes in the cider. I avoid pasteurized milk because the heat of the process destroys the enzymes that I need to digest it. Lack of these enzymes may be a factor in lactose intolerance,” wrote Jay.

Torrie from Ontario wrote that pasteurization defeats the purpose of a fresh juice product.

“When it is pasteurized all ‘goodness’ is killed or denatured,” Torrie wrote. “This destroys many virtues of the product. Unfortunately a few bad apples spoil the brew, quite literally. Both (pasteurized and unpasteurized) should be available to the consumer; s/he can decide for themselves.”

That sentiment was echoed by five others who wrote e-mails stressing that pasteurizing apple cider takes “all the good out.”

There were votes in favor of pasteurizing cider, too. George wrote in that there should “definitely (be) pasteurization or other treatment to achieve a 5-log reduction, except for cider for wine, hard cider or vinegar.”

Another wrote that flash pasteurization should be mandatory. In all, 50 people voted against mandatory pasteurization and 17 voted in favor of it. But, as I said, more votes continue to come in.

And these responses only represent the opinions of those who have sent in e-mails and voted in our online poll. Just because we’re changing our question this month doesn’t mean we don’t still want to hear what you have to say about mandatory pasteurization. Send an e-mail to [email protected] and let me know what you’re thinking. We’ll continue to follow this issue, as it continues to be a priority on the minds of our readers.

And keep answering our questions of the month, published on our Marketplace of Ideas page each month and posted on our Web site. If you want to be sent an e-mail reminder when a new question of the month is posted, send an e-mail to [email protected] and put “Subscribe e-news” in the subject line.

And, if you have a suggestion for a question of the month, please e-mail that to me as well. I’d love to know what you want to hea


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