New Video Explains Non-GMO Project Verified Wines
Our latest video demonstrates the why and how of Non-GMO Project verified wines. With an estimated 80% of all packaged products, now genetically modified, we have gone the extra mile to have each of our wines Non-GMO Project verified. The verification is granted by the Non-GMO Project, a not-for-profit organization committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO products, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices.
We believe you should know exactly what’s in your glass of wine, from the vineyard to the processing ingredients such as yeast and fining agents where GMOs can come into play. Non-GMO Project Verified wines indicate that the brands adhere to consensus-based best practices for avoidance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are organisms whose natural genetic material has been altered through engineering techniques.
How Are Genetically Modified Ingredients Being Used in Conventional Wines?
- Ingredients used in wine production can include a GM yeast called ML01, which is approved for use in wine production in the U.S. (by the FDA) and Canada. Our winery partners use only indigenous “wild” or locally cultivated organic yeast.
- Some wineries use fining and clarification agents such as casein that could be derived from GM milk. Our winery partners use only Bentonite clay or pea protein as fining agents and no additional clarification agents are used in production.
- Genetically modified Enzymes may be used as processing aids in some wines. See the many programs and research being conducted at the Institute for Wine Biotechnology in South Africa.
- CO2 can be added to some sparkling wines, and that can be derived from ethanol, which could be made with genetically modified corn.
- Even genetically modified wine grapes have been in field trials for years in both the US and Europe.
Wines that are Non-GMO Project Verified carry an assurance that each ingredient, from harvest to fermentation and final clarification are non-GMO. We are committed to Non-GMO Project verification for ingredients currently being used in the wine making industry, and those that will be approved for use in the future. Natural Merchants winery partners proudly display the Non-GMO Project Verified badge on shelf tags so that consumers can easily identify the products.
Learn more about Non-GMO Project Verified wines at nongmowines.com and look for the butterfly on shelf or neck tags.
Why Non-GMO Project Verified Wines? – Video