Tuesday 13 May 2014

Chitosan, the latest addition

It has happened to me again that a sales rep has come trying to sell me a wine additive product, and I returned to the blog to see if it is in fact legal. Last time this happened, with CMC, it wasn't (i.e. they were selling it before it had been added to the list). This time, it is legal, just the blog was out of date. So here is the latest addition. And yes, I am tired of seeing more and more additions, but that was the topic of my last (and sorry, not very recent) post.

Latest amendment to Food Standards Code 4.5.1
Amendment 145, January 2014 Allowed the use of fungal chitosan from Aspergillus niger as a processing aid for a number of purposes including as a fining and clarifying agent in the manufacture of wine, beer, cider, spirits and food-grade ethanol. The product that is being promoted to me is a mixture of chitosan and pectinase and glucanase enzymes, intended to facilitate the lysis and elimination of Brettanomyces, a spoilage yeast. So, chitosan may be a partial subsitute for sulphur dioxide.