An improved method of urea detection having a sensitivity to 0.05 ppm, applicable to white wines, was developed by modifying Jansen's procedure. The urea concentration in many commercial bottled wines was found to be around 2 ppm. The method was utilized to the urea degradation by an acid urease which degraded naturally occurring urea of OS-2 ppm at the same reaction rate as that for the spiked urea of 30 ppm in the same white wine. Wine treatment with the acid urease also reduced ethyl carbamate formed by heating.

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