In October 1996, unpasteurized apple cider or juice was associated with three outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness.
Apple cider is a traditional beverage produced and consumed in the fall.
Cider often is manufactured locally at small cider mills where apples are crushed in presses, and the cider frequently is not pasteurized before sale. This report summarizes the clinical and epidemiologic features of the two apple cider-related outbreaks, which suggest that current practices for producing apple cider may not be adequate to prevent microbial contamination. Case-patients resided in six towns within New Haven County. On October 17, DPH conducted a matched case-control study to determine probable sources for the outbreak. Controls were selected from telephone-exchange lists and were matched to cases by sex, town of residence, and age group.