General principles
GENERAL PRINCIPLES TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IN THE ASSESSMENT OF OENOLOGICAL PRACTICES AND SUBSTANCES COMPOSINGOENOLOGICAL PRODUCTS
OIV-OENO 602-2022
Oenological practices:
- are safe biological, physical and chemical practices intended for the production and preservation of vitivinicultural products,
- preserve the natural and essential characteristics and composition of wine,
- should not cause consumer confusion or facilitate this.
Wherever possible and reasonable, preference should be given to substances that are extracted from grapes/substances of vitivinicultural origin.
Oenological practices and the use of oenological substances should not mask the effects of the use of defective raw materials, faulty raw materials, or unhygienic practices[1].
Taking this into consideration the OIV establishes a specific description of each oenological practice and any use of oenological substances, including its objectives, purposes and conditions of use. Oenological practices and the use of oenological substances recommended and published by OIV shall only be used for the purposes described and, in the manner, described to provide a benchmark for good manufacturing practice.
Oenological practices and oenological substances are used:
- to prevent or eliminate wine defects (oxidation, bacterial contamination, tartaric precipitation, etc.),
- to improve the process of winemaking (control the fermentations, improve the filterability, improve clarification,…),
- to improve the storage capacity or stability of the vitivinicultural product and maintenance of its organoleptic qualities,
- as additives or processing aids, while the status of the substance depends on their use.
There is a sufficient technological need to justify the use of the oenological substance, or the treatment gives evident advantages, economically or technically, compared to the present practices and consumers are not misled through the use of the oenological treatment agent; the oenological substance provides advantages to consumers and consequently fulfils one or several objectives such as:
- preservation of the nutritive quality of the vitivinicultural products,
- improvement of the storage capacity or stability of the vitivinicultural product and maintenance of its organoleptic qualities.
The OIV establishes a specification for each oenological substance concerning the origin, purity and other necessary indications.
The OIV evaluates and develops new oenological practices or revises those that already exist, also taking into account environmental impact/sustainability according to technological innovations.
The OIV recommends that:
- the quantity of an oenological treatment agent added in the elaboration of a product shall be limited to the lowest possible level necessary to accomplish its desired effect,
- the quantity of the oenological treatment agent that as a result of its use transforms to another product not intended to accomplish any physical or other technical effect in the vitivinicultural product itself, is reduced to the extent reasonably possible.
The OIV recommends maximum numerical use levels for oenological substances with an acceptable daily intake (ADI) set by JECFA or other Food Safety Authorities, also taking account of the opinion of the OIV’s “Food Safety” Group. The OIV also recommends numerical limits for best use of the technological function and/or for quality purposes on the basis of experimental data analysed by its own experts. In the absence of fixed numerical limits from the OIV, the OIV recommends oenological substances shall be used at levels established for GMP, which are the lowest levels possible to provide a specific technological function.
[1] "hygiene", means the measures and conditions necessary to control hazards and to ensure fitness for human consumption of wine, wine-based beverages, table grapes, raisins and other vine-based products taking into account its intended use