Apr 7, 2007
State Apple Industries Debate Mandatory Pasteurization

Should all apple cider be pasteurized?

The answer to that question has caused divisions within the U.S. apple industry. Some see it as a safety issue, while others see the interests of large producers vying with those of small producers.

“It’s another case of the big getting bigger and the small getting smaller,” said Mike Beck, co-owner of Uncle John’s Cider Mill in St. John’s, Mich. “Consumers know the risk. They also love the choice. My customers tell me they want fresh juice.”

According to federal law, producers who sell wholesale must treat their cider and juice. Producers who sell directly to consumers don’t have to treat it, but it must have a warning label. States can set guidelines that are more stringent than the federal rules.

USApple, an organization that represents the entire U.S. apple industry, wants to require the mandatory pasteurization of all apple cider sold in the country. Only the federal government has the power to do that.

USApple recently changed its position on the pasteurization issue, said Shannon Schaffer, communication manager.

“It’s an issue of health and safety to the industry,” he said. “It’s not something everybody likes, but the board thought it was an important step. The industry must protect itself.”

Any health scare reverberates throughout the entire apple industry and can lead to a drop in sales, Schaffer said.

Beck was disappointed by USApple’s decision. There is a risk, he said, but if the beef industry can survive a mad cow scare, the apple industry can survive a health scare.

“It really hurts when your own apple organization tries to take away the way you do business,” he said. “The USApple board is loaded with people with links to big firms.”

If the federal government made pasteurization mandatory, Uncle John’s Cider Mill would probably have to pay $30,000 to $40,000 on pasteurization equipment, and $2,500 a year on maintenance and recordkeeping. Uncle John’s would survive those costs, but other, smaller producers would not, Beck said.

“It was not something we came to lightly or easily,” Schaffer said. “Business could be hurt both ways. The industry is doing what’s best for itself.”

Apple organizations around the country have taken different stances on the issue. The New York Apple Association supports mandatory pasteurization of cider, and is pushing for it in its own state. Last December, the association’s board of directors passed a resolution declaring its support for changing food code laws in the state to require all cider, apple juice and apple juice products to be treated.

The plan to boost enforcement was triggered by an incident last October, when hundreds of people in northern New York became ill from drinking untreated cider. Pathogens were identified in the cider, which came from a single producer. It was an isolated incident, but it could happen again – and on a larger scale, said Jim Allen, the association’s president.

The association is working with state legislators to investigate all aspects of the issue. The pros and cons will be debated before any legislation is considered, Allen said.

“The risks are very, very high for the industry,” he said. “The last thing we want is to have an issue like this every year. It causes fear in the consumer’s mind.”

The Washington Apple Commission has not taken an official position, but supports the idea of mandatory pasteurization because it seems to be safer. There aren’t many Washington orchards that sell cider directly to consumers, so it’s not much of an issue in the state, said commission President Dave Carlson.

The Michigan Apple Committee has not taken an official position on mandatory pasteurization, either, said Executive Director Denise Yockey.

“Pasteurization all by itself is probably not the silver bullet,” she said. “Just having a piece of equipment is not enough.”

Cider makers in Michigan are working on enhancing safety and quality standards in other ways, like creating a mandatory cider school and increasing inspections, Yockey said.

“We’re still hammering out ideas,” she said. “Most of our cider leaders concur it’s time to raise the bar. We want a safe food product.”




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