Qingdao Tianya Chemical Co Ltd

CMC food grade is intended to be used in wine production as an additional tool for preventing clouding and sediment formation resulting from the precipitation of tartrate crystals. Cloudy wine with sediment may be undesirable to consumers.

Information provided by the Applicant states that in contrast to the existing metatartaric acid method the effectiveness of CMC food grade additive is temperature insensitive and thus crystal stability is obtained even with temperature fluctuations, such as those which occur during transport. However, other currently available methods for tartrate crystal control need to be retained as under certain circumstances e.g. for high quality wine, wine which is strongly saturated with tartrate or wines with high levels of calcium tartrate, the existing methods may be more suitable.

The Applicant provided data showing the additive works by inhibiting tartrate crystal growth in wine. The additive acts as a protective colloid which attaches to the surface of dissolved tartrate and prevents tartrate crystals seeding and subsequently precipitating. CMC food grade is added to the wine towards the end of the production process.

The Application proposed a maximum use level of 100 mg/L. Information provided with the Application, namely results of tests to investigate the degree of tartrate crystal precipitation over time, was deemed sufficient by FSANZ to demonstrate that the use of sodium CMC at this proposed level is effective.

As there is no specific public health or safety concerns identified for this extended use and for other approved uses of sodium CMC the maximum permitted level is GMP, FSANZ proposes to set the maximum permissible level of sodium CMC in wine and sparkling wine also at GMP.