An investigation has been conducted into whether wines fined with egg, milk and fish have the potential to provoke clinical allergic reactions in sensitised patients. The researchers used wine produced in-house using different concentrations of casein, egg albumin and isinglass as fining agents. The fining agents were not detectable in the end product when tested using the available laboratory methods.
Positive skin prick test reactions and basophil activation to the relevant wines were observed in the majority of patients with allergy to milk, egg or fish, correlating with the concentration of the fining agent. Participants also completed questionnaires which indicated that of those who consumed wines, few experienced allergic reactions. Any symptoms reported were mild and similar to the ones reported from the control group.
The authors conclude that the traces of casein, isinglass or egg remaining in wine after fining present a very low risk for food allergic consumers.
>Reference: Vassilopoulou et al. 2011.Clinical and Translational Allergy. DOI: 10.1186/2045-7022-1-10
