When choosing a bottle of wine, the eye often falls on the price or on the label, without considering what can hide inside. Recently, the French association Que choisir He conducted a test on 35 French wines to evaluate the presence of potentially harmful substances, such as additives, sulphites, pesticides, bishopnoles and phthalates, and analyze their calorie content. The goal was to understand which bottles were safer to the health of consumers.
The wines analyzed included whites and reds, organic and conventional, all sold for less than 13 euros. The result? Regardless of the price, the wine can contain contaminants but there are ways to limit the risks.
What they found in French wines
The analyzes have highlighted several critical issues in various tested wines.
Additives and sulphites
Almost half of the analyzed bottles contained four or more additives, including E466 and sulphites (E220-E228). These substances may have negative effects on the intestine, on the nervous system and cause allergic reactions in the most sensitive people. Biological wines contain about 30% less sulphites than conventional, and the reds less than whites, while the HVE label (French label that reports the high environmental value) does not seem to make a difference.
The most emblematic case was a Burgundy red wine sold for 13 euros for 75 cl which contained sucrose, E220 – E228, E270, E296, E300, E330 and E334.
Bistnotoli and phthalates
The analysis shows that 86% of the bottles contained at least one chemical compound such as bispnotoli or phthalates, known substances to be endocrine and toxic interfering for reproduction. These contaminants largely come from the plastic resin -covered tinios in which the wine is preserved or refined.
The presence of bispnotoli and phthalates increases with the conservation temperature and alcoholic gradation: more alcohol wines or stored in hot environments tend to contain more residues.
The differences between regions were quite evident: in the analyzes, the wines of the Côtes-Du-Rhône are slightly more affected, while those of Burgundy less, probably because in the latter there are frequent smaller structures with reduced tanks, more easily replaced with stainless steel.
An expert involved in the study underlines that replacing vats with stainless steel containers would reduce contamination, but these are expensive and complex interventions, often more accessible for productions with higher margins. Unfortunately, no label, nor the price of the bottle, guarantees protection from this type of pollution.
Pesticides
The analysis shows that 80% of wines without biological certification (AB) contained at least one residue of pesticide recognized or suspected of being dangerous for health by the French and European health authorities. Among the most significant cases, the Le Blanc Bordeaux presented nine residues, including a carcinogenic compound and two endocrine interfering, the levels were however below the maximum limited limits.
Even more prestigious wines, however, they want to underline the French experts, they can be contaminated: a chablis four times more expensive showed pesticide residues, as well as previous tests on Grand Cru of Bordeaux up to 132 euros have confirmed that the high price does not guarantee the absence of contaminants. The Bordeaux region is also characterized by a climate that promotes greater use of pesticides.
The problem does not concern only consumers: the pesticides used in viticulture can cause serious diseases among farmers and, according to French studies of 2023, also increase the risk of pediatric tumors within a kilometer from the vineyards. As François Veillerette, spokesperson for the Généractions Futures Association, points out, long -term exposure of local residents is a real risk not to be underestimated.
Technological adjuvants
Perhaps not everyone knows it, but in wines there may be molecules called technological adjuvants, added during production to clarify, stabilize or improve the appearance of the product. The European law does not oblige manufacturers to indicate them on the label, unlike additives, because theoretically they should no longer be present in the finished product. However, traces can find themselves in the glass.
Among these coadiuvants there are substances of animal origin, such as egg whites and milk casein, used for clarification (prohibited in vegan certified wines), but also minerals such as silicon dioxide and calcium carbonate (used to reduce acidity). Some experts suspect that they may also be present in the form of nanoparticles, whose health effects are not yet completely known.
Biological agriculture limits the use of adjuvants to about forty substances, including silicon dioxide and calcium carbonate. Demeter wines allow only about twenty, while Méthode Nature completely prohibits the use of technological adjuvants.
Calories and alcoholic degree
As for the calories and the alcoholic degree, it should be remembered that the wines can be surprisingly caloric, reaching almost double compared to a Coca-Cola.
Often it is thought that sweet whites are the most caloric due to sugar, but in reality the alcoholic degree has a greater impact: alcohol brings almost double the calories of sugar. Consequently, a dry red at 15 ° can contain more calories than a 12th sweet white.
How to reduce risks
As we have already said, the French experts specify that there are ways to limit the risks related to additives, pesticides and chemical contaminants present in the wines. Here are the main ones:
