Abstract. This paper examines the origins of methanol in grape wine and the quantities typically found in it, as well as in other foods such as unpasteurised fruit juices. The toxicology of methanol and the associated regulatory limits established by competent authorities in various parts of the world are also considered. It is concluded that such limits are not driven by public health considerations and thus authorities are requested to consider the need for methanol analyses to be performed and reported on certificates of analysis as a condition of market entry for wine. Where methanol limits are still deemed to be necessary to achieve policy objectives, authorities are encouraged to establish them in the light of the levels of methanol typically found in grape wines produced by the full array of internationally permitted winemaking practices, and to consider harmonising their limits with those that have already been established by other governments or recommended by appropriate intergovernmental organisations.
This technical brief addresses using appropriate methodology and uniform terminology to ensure consistency in measurement and interpretation of wine components described as sugars, when required in wine trade. Different analytical approaches when testing for sugar in wine, variation in reporting units, and non-uniform interpretation of sugar terminology are known to create unnecessary barriers in wine trade. This brief proposes a unified system of reporting sugar in wine that is grounded in scientific and practical knowledge to reduce potential trade barriers. The following are suggested best practices when testing and reporting sugar in wine: clarify the meaning of the abbreviation “RS” when used, since it could stand for residual sugars, reducing sugars, or reducing substances, which have different meanings (1), define residual sugar as the sum of glucose, fructose and sucrose expressed as g/L of wine (2), use methods that are specific for wine sugars, rather than non-specific methods that test for reducing substances, to avoid erroneously high results (3), avoid reporting sugar alcohols, such as glycerol, as a sugar (4), avoid testing for sugars not expected in wine, such as maltose and lactose (5).
Abstract. Scientific studies indicate wine does not support the growth of pathogenic microorganisms such as Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium perfringens. Studies also show wine has antimicrobial properties due to its high acidity, polyphenol content, alcohol content, low redox potential, and preservative content. As a result, wine has been recognized as a consumer product with a low microbiological safety risk, and governments have issued guidance and employed proportionate regulatory frameworks from a food safety standpoint. Building complex food safety regulatory schemes which must be administered with scarce government resources is unnecessary for a product like wine, with a low microbial risk profile as identified by the general principles of risk management endorsed by the WHO and other international advisory bodies. Notwithstanding the inherent microbiological food safety of wine, at least from a bacterial standpoint, it remains essential that wine should be manufactured under appropriate good manufacturing practices.
Abstract. The globalization of the wine market has generally outpaced regulatory development. As a result, wine has been introduced to markets with little historical product experience and has been subjected to standard food regulatory approaches that are not always appropriate given its unique characteristics. In addition, disparate regulatory limits and approaches to testing wine in different markets may result in inadvertent obstacles to trade and increased costs of doing business, but provide no counterbalancing benefits to consumers, producers or regulators. This paper presents a series of principles (already endorsed by FIVS) that, if recognized and implemented widely by governments, would have enormous consequences for the facilitation of global trade in wine. Many of these are already being applied among established trading partners, though they are generally not stated explicitly.
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