E. coli is an acid resistant microorganism widely distributed in nature and can survive for long periods in foods including those with a low pH such as juices or apple cider (Donahue et al., 2004), especially at low temperature conditions (Gorden and Small, 1992). Pathogenic strains, particularly enterohaemorrhagic E. coli, may contaminate foods and are a major public health concern because of their ability to produce toxins and cause severe diseases such as hemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uremic syndrome (Ngadi et al., 2003).