Are GMOs in Your Wine?

FDA GUIDE TO FOODS AND DRUGS WITH SULFITES 

 

The following foods and drugs MAY contain sulfites, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Remember to check the product label.

 

 

Food Category  Type of Food

Alcoholic Beverages Baked Goods Beverage Bases Condiments and Relishes Confections and Frostings Modified Dairy Products Drugs Fish and Shellfish Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Gelatins, Puddings, and Fillings Grain Products and Pastas Jams and Jellies Nuts and Nut Products Plant Protein Products Processed Vegetables Snack Foods Soups and Soup Mixes Sweet Sauces, Toppings Tea        Beer, cocktail mixes, wine, and wine coolers Cookies, crackers, mixes with dried fruits or vegetables, pie crust, pizza crust, quiche crust, and flour tortillas Dried citrus fruit beverage mixes Horseradish, onion and pickle relishes, pickles, olives, salad dressing mixes, and wine vinegar Brown, raw, powdered or white sugar derived from sugar beets Filled milk (a specially prepared skim milk in which vegetable oils, rather than animal fats, are added to increase its fat content) Antiemetics (taken to prevent nausea), cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics, tranquilizers, intravenous muscle relaxants, analgesics (painkillers), anesthetics, steroids and nebulized bronchodilator solutions (used for treatment of asthma) Canned clams; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried shrimp; frozen lobster; scallops; dried cod Sulfite use banned (except for fresh potatoes) Fruit fillings, flavored and unflavored gelatin, and pectin jelling agents Cornstarch, modified food starch, spinach pasta, gravies, hominy, breadings, batters, noodle/rice mixes Jams and jellies Shredded coconut Canned, bottled, or frozen fruit juices (including lemon, lime, grape, and apple); dried fruit; canned, bottled, or frozen dietetic fruit or fruit juices; maraschino cherries and glazed fruit Vegetable juice, canned vegetables (including potatoes), pickled vegetables (including sauerkraut), dried vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, frozen potatoes, potato salad Dried fruit snacks, trail mixes, filled crackers Canned seafood soups, dried soup mixes Corn syrup, maple syrup, fruit toppings, and high-fructose syrups such as corn syrup and pancake syrup Instant tea, liquid tea concentrates

 

Due to their history of use, sulfites have been generally regarded as safe, however there is also a small percentage of the population that is suspected of being sensitive to sulfites. This sensitivity can cause a wide range of reactions ranging from mild to severe; therefore the proper precautions should be taken.

 

SHOULD YOU AVOID WINE SULFITES?

 

 

Oldest organic vineyard in the country can best answer that question:

 

Frey Organic Wines – No Sulfites Added
Organic Wine is Wine Without Added Sulfites

Under the USDA National Organic Program, sulfites are a synthetic food additive. They are not allowed in organic wine or any other certified organic food products, such as dried fruits, jams, salad dressings or juices.

In over 30 years of organic wine making, we have never added sulfites or other synthetic additives to our wines. Sulfur is abundant in all life forms and takes many forms in living organisms. Small amounts of naturally occurring sulfites are present in wine and other foods.

Synthetic sulfites added to wine are used as a mild antioxidant preservative and stabilizer. Sulfites are added to wine in the form of sulfur salts, SO2 gas or sulfur dioxide solutions. They are commonly used at several stages in the winemaking process. They can be added at the crusher when the fruit enters the production stream and after primary alcoholic fermentation, final levels are adjusted before bottling.

Due to the reactive nature of free sulfites, most join with other substances in the wine, becoming “bound” sulfites. Once bound, sulfites can’t be tasted or smelled, except at high levels. Any added sulfite that does not react with the wine remains "free". It is these free, reactive molecules that can be smelled and tasted and react with sinus tissues to cause a sulfite reaction.Sulfites are measured in parts per million, or ppm. Following is a brief overview of maximum amounts of sulfites allowed in different classes of wines.

• Organic Wine: Under 10 ppm naturally occurring sulfite
• Biodynamic Wine: 100 ppm added sulfite
• “Made with Organic Grapes” wine: 150 ppm added sulfite
• All wine: 350 ppm added sulfite

Our wines usually range from 0 ppm to 5 ppm naturally occurring sulfites, though most measure 0 ppm. These levels are minimal when compared with an egg, which was shown to contain 6 ppm in independent laboratory testing.

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WHY ARE ORGANIC SPIRITS IMPORTANT?

 

Find out more about organic spirits by listening to our interview with Katrina Frey from Frey Vineyards, oldest organic vineyard in the country, and other makers of organic beer and hard liquor. Our experience is those sensitive to GMOs or chemicals will enjoy their drinks more if you choose all organic ingredients. For some could trigger severe case of alcohol poisoning, allergic reaction, or even a hangover from what is hidden (not on label) in those products. Many are not aware that GMO yeast is used in most all conventional wines. Have purchased a bottle of Frey Chardonnay at Whole Foods and after visiting the Cakebread Vineyard and drank many bottles, found the $18 bottle Frey even better tasting than the $100 bottle of Cakebread. They have won many awards for their taste and quality without the GMOs, pesticides, and sulfites.