But the FDA has no control over what retailers require of their distributors. Barsotti, who went to Washington D.C. for FDA hearings Dec. 16 and 17, said cider makes up about 90 percent of his sales. He produces about 100,000 gallons a year. He doesn't blame Raley's for requiring pasteurization, even though he believes pure cider is better for both taste and nutrition. While required pasteurization could put some people out of the business, he added, his orchard, which already owns the equipment, would benefit in some ways.
Pasteurization increases the shelf life of cider from two to three weeks to four to six weeks.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Atlanta, Ga., has not taken a position on pasteurization. The center has documented that there is a problem with diseases linked to unpasteurized juices, but it's very difficult to quantify, said spokesman Tom Skinner. Most of the outbreaks the center has seen have been related to apples, he said. In November, there were possible links between Odwalla juices and 66 cases of sickness from three states plus Canada. Earlier this year in Connecticut there was an outbreak linked to fresh apple juice.