On Friday, December 19, 2014 2:19:03 PM UTC-8, sf wrote:
> Don't they wash those apples?
> http://wn.ktvu.com/story/27671390/pr...ed-to-5-deaths
>

I suspect those were windfalls that pickers put in their boxes anyways.

On 12/19/2014 6:09 PM, wrote:
> On Friday, December 19, 2014 2:19:03 PM UTC-8, sf wrote:
>> Don't they wash those apples?
>> http://wn.ktvu.com/story/27671390/pr...ed-to-5-deaths
>>
>
> I suspect those were windfalls that pickers put in their boxes anyways.

Right. Still, drops or not, they should have been washed.

I have bought some expensive pre-made caramel apples by mail.
You like to think they were washed before the other stuff is
added.

nancy

On 2014-12-19 23:43:06 +0000, Nancy Young said:

> On 12/19/2014 6:09 PM, wrote:
>> On Friday, December 19, 2014 2:19:03 PM UTC-8, sf wrote:
>>> Don't they wash those apples?
>>> http://wn.ktvu.com/story/27671390/pr...ed-to-5-deaths
>>>
>>
>> I suspect those were windfalls that pickers put in their boxes anyways.
>
> Right. Still, drops or not, they should have been washed.
>
> I have bought some expensive pre-made caramel apples by mail.
> You like to think they were washed before the other stuff is
> added.
>
> nancy

Can you wash away all traces of a bacteria? Somehow I doubt it.

Everything is a risk.

On 12/19/2014 9:28 PM, Oregonian Haruspex wrote:
> On 2014-12-19 23:43:06 +0000, Nancy Young said:

>> Right. Still, drops or not, they should have been washed.
>>
>> I have bought some expensive pre-made caramel apples by mail.
>> You like to think they were washed before the other stuff is
>> added.

> Can you wash away all traces of a bacteria? Somehow I doubt it.
>
> Everything is a risk.

Of course, but there shouldn't be several people dying from
eating a product. Can't say as I wash apples that I buy all
that carefully, and I don't hear about people routinely getting
very ill from eating them, either.

But I'd expect a commercial place to be putting the apples
through a bath of some sort that would kill germs before processing
them. Otherwise we'd be hearing a lot more stories like that apple
juice business, and these caramel apples.

nancy

On 12/19/2014 9:44 PM, Nancy Young wrote:

>
> But I'd expect a commercial place to be putting the apples
> through a bath of some sort that would kill germs before processing
> them. Otherwise we'd be hearing a lot more stories like that apple
> juice business, and these caramel apples.
>
> nancy

I saw how they are made on Food Factory. The apples had a couple of
cleanings. Maybe this outfit took a shortcut or the bacteria was
introduced at a later point. Plenty of possibilities.

On 12/19/2014 11:25 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 12/19/2014 9:44 PM, Nancy Young wrote:
>
>>
>> But I'd expect a commercial place to be putting the apples
>> through a bath of some sort that would kill germs before processing
>> them. Otherwise we'd be hearing a lot more stories like that apple
>> juice business, and these caramel apples.

> I saw how they are made on Food Factory. The apples had a couple of
> cleanings.

Okay, that sounds right.

> Maybe this outfit took a shortcut or the bacteria was
> introduced at a later point. Plenty of possibilities.

Should be interesting.

nancy

In article >,
says...
>
> On 2014-12-19 23:43:06 +0000, Nancy Young said:
>
> > On 12/19/2014 6:09 PM, wrote:
> >> On Friday, December 19, 2014 2:19:03 PM UTC-8, sf wrote:
> >>> Don't they wash those apples?
> >>> http://wn.ktvu.com/story/27671390/pr...ed-to-5-deaths
> >>>
> >>
> >> I suspect those were windfalls that pickers put in their boxes anyways.
> >
> > Right. Still, drops or not, they should have been washed.
> >
> > I have bought some expensive pre-made caramel apples by mail.
> > You like to think they were washed before the other stuff is
> > added.
> >
> > nancy
>
> Can you wash away all traces of a bacteria? Somehow I doubt it.
>
> Everything is a risk.

Listeria is easily killed by heat. If you're making toffee apples the
trad way by dipping them in boiling sugar at caramelisation
temperature, that should kill any bacteria on the apple skin.


Janet UK

On Sat, 20 Dec 2014 11:26:14 -0000, Janet > wrote:



>
> Listeria is easily killed by heat. If you're making toffee apples the
>trad way by dipping them in boiling sugar at caramelisation
>temperature, that should kill any bacteria on the apple skin.
>
>
> Janet UK

At caramelization temperature of 338 degrees, yes, but I'm sure the
coating is applied to a soft caramel that may be at a lower
temperature.

Pasteurization occurs at 72C or 161F.

The potential problem is the shape of the apple and the stick. The
stick is inserted in the stem end of the raw apple. It can literally
inject the bacteria tot he inside. Next is the shape of the apple at
the ends. The thick caramel could leave an air pocked and not heat it
to 161 degrees in that spot.