RESOLUTION OIV-SECSAN 455-2013

WINE CONSUMPTION AND EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

In accordance with Article 2 (2)(a) of the Agreement establishing the OIV, which determines the OIV's activities:

"to promote and guide scientific and technical research and experimentation in order to meet the needs expressed by its members, to assess the results, calling on qualified experts as necessary, and where relevant to circulate the results by appropriate means":

Taking into account Article 2 (2)(g) of said Agreement, to help protect the health of consumers and to contribute to food safety;

Taking into consideration the actions provided in the Strategic Plan of the OIV 2012-2014, points L (Nutrition and health-individual and societal aspects) and N (Collection, processing and dissemination of information);

CONSIDERING Resolution OENO 1/98, which indicates the importance of developing systems of education and information that take into account the legislation specific to the member countries;

CONSIDERING Resolution ECO 4/99, which indicates the factors that may influence alcohol consumption, such as genetic characteristics, culture, religion, family, peer group, media, education and the availability of products;

CONSIDERING that all information concerning the effects of wine on health must be presented in a competent and balanced manner;

Further to the proposal of the Commission IV “Safety and Health”, and in line with the works of the group of experts “Consumption, Nutrition and Health” and based on the available scientific evidence indicating that drinking patterns of alcoholic beverages of vitivinicultural origin (in terms of frequency, type and amount of alcohol consumed, as well as drinking with or without a meal) are significant factors influencing the modulation of the biological effects of wine;

Taking into account the works of other international organisations on the effects of the consumption of alcoholic beverages on human health in particular

• The WHO global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol which declines the objectives and measures for reducing the negative health and social consequences of the harmful use of of alcohol
• IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans of Alcohol Consumption and Ethyl Carbamate

Considering the 'WHO Guide to Mental and Neurological Health in Primary Care' (2nd edition), which provides the level at which drinking is unlikely to cause health problems 

Decides to adopt the following recommendations for future research to be undertaken, relating to wine consumption and its positive and negative consequences for human health:

To conduct carefully designed and controlled balanced studies in appropriate populations, and/or with a large sample size, in which sensitive biomarkers are identified and measured, in order to establish:

• Whether the consumption of wine with meals provides any beneficial effects in humans relative to the consumption of wine without a meal;
• Whether the consumption of wine provides benefits over other alcoholic beverages consumed under the same experimental conditions;
• Whether the alcohol content of the wine influences its observable biological effects in humans;
• Whether, and to what extent, red and white wine differ in the biological effects that they have on humans.

References

1. OIV Document CIV-CONUSA 2010-03 10