Baugher’s Apple Cider Recall Issued Over E. Coli Outbreak in Maryland

A recall of unpasteuried Baugher’s Apple Cider has been issued following reports of E. coli food poisoning in Maryland, which has caused several people to be hospitalized. 

On Thursday the FDA announced the Baugher’s Apple Cider recall after an investigation by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) found that seven people in Maryland have been infected with E. coli O157:H7 since October 22.

There have been three reports of hospitalizations and one report of a condition known as Hemolytic-Urenia Syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure caused by E. coli poisoning. There have been no deaths reported in relation to the E. coli outbreak.

E. coli O157:H7 is one of the more common causes of food poisoning in the United States. When left untreated, it can lead to dehydration and potentially life-threatening illness. While most healthy adults recover from food poisoning caused by E. coli within a few weeks, young children and the elderly could be at risk for more severe illness. If the toxin enters the blood stream, E. coli could also lead to HUS.

Investigators believe they have tracked the illnesses back to Baugher’s Orchard & Farm’s unpasteurized apple cider. FDA, DHMH and Baugher Enterprise are asking people to discard all Baugher’s Apple Cider. The investigators are currently examining the production facility for the source of the contamination.

Baugher’s Apple Cider is sold in Maryland and Pennsylvania in half-gallon and gallon containers. The recall affects all of the cider on the market.

State and federal health officials recommend that consumers do not drink the cider and dispose of it immediately in a way that prevents both humans and animals from drinking it. No other Baugher’s products are currently affected by the recall.