I've heard I shouldn't give my children the fresh apple juice sold at farm stands. Is this true?

Juices sold at roadside stands may not have been pasteurized or processed to destroy potentially harmful bacteria.  According to the FDA, unprocessed juices account for only 2 percent of the juice sold in the United States. However, they may be responsible for up to 48,000 cases of food poisoning a year.

While healthy adults exposed to disease-producing bacteria such as e-coli may become ill for several days, children and those considered at risk, such as the chronically ill and elderly, can develop potentially life-threatening conditions if exposed to these bacteria.

The FDA is currently taking steps to reduce the risk of disease from unpasteurized juice. But until federal safe guards are fully in place, it is advisable to avoid giving unprocessed juices, sometimes called raw juices or raw ciders.

This doesn't mean you should stop serving children juice. Ninety-eight percent of juices sold in the United States have been processed to kill harmful bacteria and are perfectly safe and healthy for children to drink. Most juice manufactures are now labeling their products to indicate pasteurization or processing.

The key is to know what you are buying. If a bottle of apple or other juice doesn't clearly say pasteurized on the label, look for an air-sealed pop-top. This lid assures you the contents are safe to drink. Most frozen juices and those treated with new aseptic technologies are also safe for children.

Food Safety