Did you know that milk protein is used in fining in wine?

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I knew that there were alcoholic drinks I had to avoid. Eggnog, Bailey's and milk Stout are the ones that spring to mind immediately but today I found another to add to my list, for someone with a severe allergy to milk and that's the common "cheap white wine" for cooking with.

Grr. it does annoy me. Twice today I've encountered dairy/milk in places it shouldn't be... or doesn't need to be (The other in a lollipop being given out at the doctors surgery after my vaccination. They too, were surprised when I said I had to check the ingredients for dairy in a lollipop, but sure enough those sweet sugar balls on top of a stick have 2 flavours that contain milk and the only place the warning is, is on the container the lollipops came in, not the lolly wrapper).

Allergy Hazard

• SatNavSaysStraightOn
• 1 Dec 2021

These were meant to be in a vegan cream of mushroom soup. Instead, nope, I can't use them.
So frustrating, but at least it is made clear on the label. One states may contain traces and the other actually says contains traces of milk.

"This product (may contain) contains traces of the fining agent milk".

Casein is the principal protein in milk. It is used mainly for fining white wine and Sherries to reduce the level of phenolic compounds associated with bitterness and browning. It is softer than gelatine or isinglass but has limited clarifying action.

Milk products in wine explained goes on to explain it better.

Wine drinkers often ask about the ‘milk products’ which can be used in winemaking, and which are often declared on the back-labels of wine bottles. This is usually in small type, hidden away at the bottom among the mandatory information such as contents, alcohol and standard drinks.
Milk itself is not often used in winemaking, but a milk by-product called casein is. It can be used as a fining agent.
Fining processes are used to clarify wine. The winemaker adds a small quantity of casein to the wine, which is mixed thoroughly, and then left to settle. Unstable proteins, which might otherwise cause a haze if left in the wine, are removed electrolytically. In other words, the casein molecules are electrically attracted to the protein molecules and they stick together and precipitate, ie. they fall to the bottom of the tank of wine, and the wine is racked or drained off, leaving the lees behind. Hence the fining agents are omitted. They don’t remain part of the wine.
The warning on the label is there to protect the winery against the possibility of litigation if someone has a seriously bad reaction caused by milk residue, which is something that I have never heard of happening. There should not be any residue in the wine but the possibility cannot be entirely ruled out. For the vast majority of drinkers, it’s not something to be concerned about

Now I don't know exactly which milk protein i'm allergic to but given less than ¼ teaspoon (ice-cream) can put me in full anaphylactic shock (needing ventolin, 2 epi-pens, an antihistamine and steroids) and I've also had anaphylactic shock to an antihistamine tablet* in the past as well, (a generic one where I know I'm fine with the branded version) we've had to literally throw the wine away. (I had already opened and measured out the wine before I spotted the warning, else I would have put it out for the Christmas hampers at the local food hub).

*The antihistamine tablet must have contained trace amounts of the dairy protein I'm allergic to in the tablet filler (Lactose monohydrate). Now given that an antihistamine is usually given to treat anaphylaxis (alongside other treatment such as 1 or more epi-pens and salbutamol) and I still went in to anaphylactic shock along with the associated swelling of lips, tongue, and throat, anaphylactic shock to an antihistamine tablets is pretty good going!

It has definitely been one of those days today.

 

[garlichead]

Full anaphylactic shock with less than a 1/4 tsp of a milk product, wow, that's crazy. In Ontario you would have gotten a full refund regardless of the fact it was open.

 

[Morning Glory]

Interesting - I've never seen this included in the ingredients on wine bottles but maybe I've never looked. I'll check the ones I have out of curiosity - though I don't have any problem with milk products myself.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Interesting - I've never seen this included in the ingredients on wine bottles but maybe I've never looked. I'll check the ones I have out of curiosity - though I don't have any problem with milk products myself.

it's the difference between wines suitable for vegetarians and wines (and other alcohol) suitable for vegans. barnivore becomes your friend... if they don't put it on the labeling. it would be interesting to know if the same Jacobs creek wines in the UK had the same warning....

Full anaphylactic shock with less than a 1/4 tsp of a milk product, wow, that's crazy. In Ontario you would have gotten a full refund regardless of the fact it was open.

tbh, I hadn't even thought to ask. from our point of view, it was our mistake for not checking the ingredients before we bought it, let alone opened it. we've been caught out before. hubby usually. he is 'innocent' in that sense. he never suspects milk can turn up in so many places despite finding out the hard way so many times. one previously was a tube of fresh coriander if my memory serves. it actually had milk in it. I always assume the worst, and ask to be proved wrong... he assumes the best and... I guess I take the opposite approach because i know what it is like not you be able to breath because of swelling, or to find it that difficult to swallow, that i have to chew the tablet and put it against my gums for absorption (antihistamines get used in anaphylaxis but at home i only have tablet form available, though we do have emergency steroids in IM form, as well as four epipens, also IM). he just gets to watch and deal with the consequences which can knock me for 6 for weeks because of my adrenal problems on top of everything.

 

[Shadow]

Yes, I did know. It is learnt fairly early on in the production of wine at wine school!

Your quote on casein - "It is softer than gelatine or isinglass" - also shows other agents used for clarifying. FYI, isinglass is derived from fish bladders and I seem to recall gelatine is not a plant derived product.

Not all producers use all or any of these products and different countries have different labelling rules. e.g.. I do not think you would find the same warning on JC wines in the UK. This obviously makes life extremely difficult for consumers to know exactly what is contained in any product.

SatNavSaysStraightOn - I do not believe you would suffer a reaction from using the aussie JC wines because the milk contained therein, if any, would be single digits per million. The producers are just covering themselves from possible litigation. However, given your level of susceptibility I fully understand you not using them.

Sulphites - these have been mandatory on labels in most countries for many years. And yet almost all wine contains naturally occurring sulphur as a by product of fermentation. Ludicrous - unless like the chardonnay example above (although it is not named, just shown as a preservative!), it states that sulphites have been added.

And lastly on this subject, there is a fair amount of hand wringing going on as producers are under increasing pressure to list ALL ingredients of a bottle of wine on the label. The sooner the better IMO.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

@SatNavSaysStraightOn - I do not believe you would suffer a reaction from using the aussie JC wines because the milk contained therein, if any, would be single digits per million. The producers are just covering themselves from possible litigation. However, given your level of susceptibility I fully understand you not using them

sadly i have reacted. hence I now know so darn much about the subject lol. I knew some byproducts of milk don't trigger me, but some really weird ones do.

I have also reacted to an antihistamine tablet before now along with other medication where the tablet was no bigger than 3mm diameter and I only had ½ the tablet.

in all of these cases, there are only trace amounts of the protein in there.

pretty much the only way I don't react is if the thing I'm consuming has been cooked in the same oil. from my chemistry background, I'd suggest that the trace amounts are being denatured by the very high temps cooking oil for deep frying (or just getting in general) reaches. however I've often reacted to a good substance when we've not been able to identify the source it reason. now I have a better understanding.

they'd isn't aimed directly at you, so please don't take it that way. the only way I can explain it is the same as with a nut sensitivity to ingestion of trace amounts. you wouldn't risk it for nuts, so why people think I'm not going to react, I fail to understand. a dairy allergy produces exactly the same anaphylactic reaction as a nut allergy. same treatment. usually 5 or 6 different drugs needed including the epipen. and with me, just as those with nut allergies, an epipen isn't enough. it is simply the start of treatment. even 2 epipens are simply there to buy you time for help to arrive. my old epipens are kept in the fridge. they might be out of date but waiting for 45 minutes for nearest help to arrive is too long if I react, so whilst they might not be as effective, they might just buy enough time. ironically the most likely time for me to react is away from home because other people don't take it seriously, yet they would if it was nuts because that one is very well known.