Potential food allergens in wine
January 2009

Australia and other countries require an advisory label if wine has been produced using a processing aid, additive or other ingredient which is known to be derived from one of the major potential food allergens.

An Australian study investigated whether wines fined using these proteins or non-grape-derived tannins (tree-nut derived) can provoke significant clinical allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) in patients with confirmed food allergy. It was found that wines fined with egg white, isinglass (fish-derived), or non-grape-derived tannins present an extremely low risk of anaphylaxis to fish-, egg-, or peanut-allergic consumers. And using the legislation-targeted food proteins according to good manufacturing practice suggests negligible residual food allergens in these wines.

Although Rolland's study showed favourable results, one needs to consider that the use of a higher level of these additives in wine can be potenitally unsafe.

Source: Rolland et al. Potential food allergens in wine: Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and basophil activation analysis. Nutrition 2006 Sep;22(9):882-8.