Uncle John's cider may contain E. coli

ST. JOHNS - Heads up if you recently bought cider at Uncle John's Cider Mill in St. Johns: A batch of about 1,200 gallons produced on Oct. 17 may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

The cider was sold from Oct. 18 to 21, packaged in plastic jugs with a sell-by date of Oct. 30. It also was served directly to consumers by the cup as cold cider, frozen cider slushes and hot cider, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, which issued a consumer advisory Tuesday morning.

Consumers who bought the cider are advised to throw it away immediately because E. coli creates a toxin that can cause sever stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Most people get better within five to seven days, but the toxin can cause life-threatening complications for some people.

A routine, random sample collected by a state food inspector tested positive for the E. coli bacteria. No illnesses have been reported.

Mike Beck, who operates the business with his wife, Dede, and son-in-law, John, said the mill has voluntarily stopped selling cider pending further testing. Those results could come as early as Wednesday, he said. When sales resume, all batches will be tested before they are sold, he said.

"In 40 years of random sampling, it's never happened before," Beck said. "There are no reported illnesses. If there was going to be an illness, I would think we would have heard about it by now."

For now, "all the other stuff is open," he said. "People are having fun, People are picking pumpkins.".

If you have questions about a cider purchase, you can contact Uncle John's Cider Mill directly at cider@ujcidermill.com.

Ken Palmer contributed to this report.