According to the FDA, fall treatment could make you sick or even fatal

Apple cider has become synonymous with the start of fall, but health officials are warning consumers that drinking the cozy drink is not without risk.

The Ogle County Health Department in Illinois, for example, has issued a seasonal health alert to warn people about the dangers of unpasteurized apple cider, which can cause “serious illness or even death” if consumed, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Apple cider is a drink made from fresh apples. It is usually somewhat cloudy and golden in color because it is unfiltered and unpasteurized,” the department said in a Facebook post. “Most apple orchards don’t take the time to pasteurize because it’s not necessary.”

Any juice or cider that is not pasteurized or “heat treated” may contain harmful bacteria from the freshly squeezed or raw fruits and vegetables it is made from, according to the FDA. These bacteria could lead to foodborne illness.

Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to the effects of food poisoning. These groups of people risk “serious illness or even death from consuming untreated juice,” according to the FDA.

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Most, but not all, juices sold are pasteurized, the FDA says

The FDA has received reports of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with consumption of fruit and vegetable juices and apple cider. However, the agency notes that “most of the juice sold in the United States is pasteurized or undergoes non-heat-related processes to kill harmful bacteria.”