Egg and milk in wine: when fining agents become allergens

Why is there egg or milk in some wines?

Winemakers use proteins to bind tannins and particles that cloud or harden a wine. Egg white is a classic for red wines in barrel; casein and skimmed milk are used on whites to remove bitterness and browning. The agent settles with the particles and is racked off.

When must egg or milk be declared on a wine label?

When residues of the egg or milk product are detectable in the finished wine. Egg and milk are allergens under annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. For wine, detection is assessed with the analytical methods recognised in EU wine law; below the detection limit, no declaration is required.

Which words are allowed for egg and milk allergens?

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 lists the allowed English terms: “egg”, “egg protein”, “egg product”, “egg lysozyme” or “egg albumin” for egg, and “milk”, “milk products”, “milk casein” or “milk protein” for milk. Each language has its own list.

Do fining agents go in the ingredients list?

Processing aids that do not remain in the wine are not ingredients and are not listed. Allergenic ones are the exception: if egg or milk residues are detectable, they are declared and highlighted, for example “contains egg”, on the label and on the e-label.

Which fining agents are allergens?

Only those made from egg or milk, and only when residues are detectable. Fish-derived isinglass is exempt for wine. Gelatine, plant proteins and mineral agents are not among the 14 EU allergens.

What changes on the e-label when egg or milk is declared?

The allergen is highlighted in the ingredients list on the e-label, as for sulphites, and it must also be printed on the label itself. A wine fined with egg in one vintage and with bentonite in the next needs different texts for each vintage.

How long do I need to keep the analysis?

As long as bottles of that lot can be on the market. The analysis is your evidence that residues were below the detection limit, or the basis for the allergen you declared. File it with the lot number and the fining records of that wine.

Does lysozyme always have to be declared?

Lysozyme comes from egg, so it falls under the egg allergen. If it is detectable in the finished wine, declare it with an allowed term such as “egg lysozyme”. If an analysis shows it is not detectable, no declaration is needed.

How can I avoid declaring egg or milk?

Use fining agents that are not allergens, or show by analysis that residues are below the detection limit. Many wineries have moved to pea protein, potato protein or bentonite for that reason, and some market the wine as suitable for vegans.

Does a vegan claim replace the allergen mention?

No. A vegan claim is a voluntary statement, while the allergen mention is a legal obligation. A wine fined with egg cannot be vegan anyway. See our article on vegan wine labels.

Questions from winemakers