Has anyone used a standard drinking water inline UV pasteurizer and are they effective? I am using sheet filtration but also want to be sure I'm meeting FDA requirements as I begin to offer my cider for tasting. These are fairly inexpensive and while the throughput is low I figured I could use my jet pump post filtration and simple go from carboy to carboy prior to bottling
UV Pasteurization
- Thread starter Sambro36
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From everything I have read, they require pasteurization if cider (hard or sweet) is sold off the orchard. There was a big E. coli problem a long while ago and that lead to the requirements. It may be different from state to state but, again from my readings it seems NY and New England all require some for of pasteurization and UV will sterilize the bacteria. Sterile filtration will catch the yeast cells so no bottle bombs. I'm working towards a traditional cider and while UV is 'modern' it seems 'easier'. If anyone has other info I'd be appreciative.
Impetus for Federal level regulation began with outbreaks E. coli O157:H7 from unpasteurized apple cider and other illnesses caused by contaminated fruit juices in the late 1990s.[10] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made proposals in 1998;[11] Canada began to explore regulation in 2000.[12]
The U.S. regulations were finalized in 2001, with the FDA issuing a rule requiring that virtually all juice producers follow Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) controls,[13] using either heat pasteurization, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), or other proven methods to achieve a "5 log" reduction in pathogens.[14]
The U.S. regulations were finalized in 2001, with the FDA issuing a rule requiring that virtually all juice producers follow Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) controls,[13] using either heat pasteurization, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), or other proven methods to achieve a "5 log" reduction in pathogens.[14]
It is not required for hard cider. There are no human pathogens that can survive living in alcohol. I'm a commercial hard cider maker. There are no craft cider producers that I know of that pastuerize before fermenting. Some will post fermentation to kill yeast for sweet cider. No uv is needed
