Lo
sugaring
– i.e., the addition of sucrose to wine-is a practice strictly prohibited in Italy, as in Spain, Portugal and Greece. And yet it is freely allowed, as well as widely used, in other countries of Europe and the world. To cheaply ‘make up’ albeit fine wines from weak or unripe grapes. (1) Assoenologi and Great Italian Food Trade shout Enough!
Grape wine or cane syrup?
The addition of ‘alien’ sugars to wine., e.g., cane and beet – has been banned in Italy for more than half a century. (2) As well as in Spain, Portugal and Greece. Conversely, ‘alien’ sugar, from cane and beet, is permitted and widely used in France, Germany, Austria, Poland, England, and Hungary. So much for the goals of harmonization of technical rules in the so-called Internal Market, in a sector that is among the most profitable in the agro-industry, itself the subject of a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that in this respect is asymmetrical at best.
‘Alien’ sugars represent the easiest solution, low-cost – alternative to using concentrated grape must – to ‘improve’ (an understatement) the structure of the wine and its alcoholic strength, where poor vine selection/pruning and/or climatic factors do not allow for harvesting grapes ripe and suitable for proper winemaking.
Thus, while in Italy
and other southern European countries, wines are made exclusively with the addition of grape must (rectified concentrated must, MCR, or solid rectified concentrated must, MCRS), in the Nordic countries it is possible to use the cheaper refined sucrose. Cane, in most cases, and also beet. And the imbalance in production costs thus generates unfair competition in wine production in the Internal Market, clearly benefiting Central and Northern European countries. But not only that.
European consumers
are deprived of the ability to distinguish real wine, made from grapes, from wine ‘made up’ with alien sugars. As of today, alcoholic beverages (>1.2% vol.) are exempt from the requirements–instead prescribed for the generality of food and beverages–to list ingredients (3) and nutrition table. (4) Information about the actual nature of Bacchus nectar-with or without ‘cane’-is thus denied to consumers in Europe, as in other countries around the world. In defiance(chard?) of the targets set in the ‘Food Information
Regulation
‘.
Consumer information?
Disinformation
ex lege
about the possible presence of alien sugars in wines produced in different EU countries, as mentioned above, stems from the lack of harmonization of European rules in the sector. Vertical rules (i.e., applied to the individual supply chain), which, however, need to be updated in light of the more recent reform of horizontal (i.e., general in scope) rules on consumer information on food products.
EU Regulation 1169/11
in fact defines precise consumer information objectives, marked by a high level of consumer protection that is expressed in the terms of being able to make effectively informed food purchasing choices.
‘The provision of food information tends to a high level of protection of the health and interests of consumers, providing end consumers with the basis for making informed choices and using food in a safe manner, respecting in particular health, economic, environmental, social and ethical considerations‘ (EU Regulation 1169/11, Article 3 –
General objectives
, paragraph 1).
‘
Food information does not mislead, specifically:
a) regarding the characteristics of the‘food and, in particular, the nature, the identityà, the propertiesà, the composition, the amountà, the shelf life, the country of‘origin or place of origin, the method of manufacture or production‘ (reg. EU 1169/11, Article 7 –
Practices
fair information practices.
, paragraph 1).
It is therefore legitimate to expect
, on the part of consumers, the assertion of the right to be able to distinguish a wine made from grapes alone from a sophisticated wine with added alien sugars. Since these are beverages of a different nature, as well as different costs and production methods, thus thus of different value.
Wine in Europe. If the name is identical, so must be the rules
‘In Italy, wine is produced with the‘grapes and not with water and sugar‘, thunders Riccardo Cotarella, president of Assoenologi, in his June editorial in the association’s magazine. Production rules need to be harmonized at the EU level. Not downward-as is already the case in the beer industry, where the severity of Italian law is unparalleled in the world-but upward.
The president of Assoenologi
first and foremost addresses stern words to the scoundrels who in Italy on rare occasions have resorted to these tricks, which in our country are punished as trade fraud. ‘
Even before a
‘
possible criminal relevance the issue has in s
é
an ethical connotation. In the sense that it involves everyone’s morality. Which then means honesty
à
of behaviors
‘.
Assoenologi
and Greatitalianfoodtrade
are therefore calling on the new Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to promote in the EU a ban on sugaring in the entire domestic market. In the alternative, consumers must be informed on the label about the presence of alien sugars.
No cane in wine or, at least, let it be known!
Dario Dongo and Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) In technical jargon, enrichment and sweetening.
(2) Cf. Presidential Decree 12.2.65 no. 162, art. 76
(3) See the article ‘
Ingredient list, ABC
‘, at
https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/lista-ingredienti-abc
(4) See the article ‘ABC nutrition statement‘, on https://www.foodagriculturerequirements.com/approfondimenti_1/dichiarazione-nutrizionale-obbligatoria-al-via-il-14-12-16-l-abc-delle-norme-da-applicare_1
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
