A Romanian winemaker has rejected allegations that its wine is laced with pesticides saying it uses ‘state-of-the-art’ equipment to produce top quality wines.
Crames Recas told Universul.net on Wednesday that allegations which appeared in a British newspaper were „tabloid” based on pseudo-science and had an agenda to promote bio wines, which it also produces.
The response came after an article in the Daily Mail cited a British government lab analysis which said its Feteasca Regala contained six different pesticides, the most of any wine tested
The analysis looked at 72 wines and researchers found 49 contained traces of at least one pesticide.
Overall, 19 pesticides were discovered, including six linked to the development of cancers.
The results of the government residue testing program have been collated and analyzed by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK), a non-profit organization based in Brighton.
Here is the statement in full from Cramele Recas:
The article in question is tabloid, pseudo-science – which has nothing in common with the actual science of the substances used in the vast majority of wine production and other food products.
The phytosanitary products used in our plantation are state-of-the-art, they are all authorized and approved for use by the European Union after a rigorous scientific research process, none of the products mentioned in that article is illegal and the quantities used for all are far below the maximum limit allowed by European legislation.
Recas Cellars is a Romanian producer with the most extensive and sophisticated quality control system which complies with legislation, we are certified to BRC and IFS standards, which ensure that all food health standards are followed, controlled and respected. As far as pesticides / fungicides are concerned, our products are tested in a regulated manner at authorized laboratories in Germany and we have never had any problems.
The fact that they claim to have found 6 types of pesticide among a wine of ours is in no way something bad, or illegal, it is normal during agricultural production to vary the products used, just so that the plant does not develop immunity to those products, just as happened with antibiotics in medical treatments.
Those who issued the article are pursuing an agenda to promote organic/organic products and want to throw mud over an entire industry just to generate advertising. We also make organic products, in fact we are one of the largest producers of organic wine in Romania with over 200,000 bottles per year, but that does not mean that organic wines are somehow more natural or better than conventional wines, just different products used for plantation care.
Obviously, we will take legal action against that newspaper and force them to withdraw the fantastical accusation.”
The statement is signed by Philip Cox, a shareholder in the company.
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