Imported Wines: Identifying and Removing Wines Contaminated with Diethylene Glycol.
Abstract
This report pertains to a General Accounting Office (GAO) review of federal agency actions in dealing with the contamination of imported wines with the industrial chemical diethylene glycol (DEG), particularly Austrain wines where the contaminations was more significant. This report provides a description of problems with wines contaminated with DEG; a discusssion of the jurisdictional responsiblities of the Department of Treasury's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) and the Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and a discussion of BATF actions in directing the testing and removal of contaminated wines for the market. After learning of the possible contamination of Austrian, West German, and Italian wines with DEG - used as a sweetening agent-BATF began testing selected wines for DEG's presence. As of December 3, 1985 BATF testing found 81 different brands of contaminated wines and directed the importer of record to halt all sales of these wines. BATF's efforts to verify importers' actions in testing and removing contaminated wines from the market were limited. BATF did not determine the amount of DEG that would pose a significant health risk nor was such a determination made by FDA. Lacking such a determination as well as the assurance that all contaminated wines were removed from the market, the adequacy of BATF's actions in protecting the public from unreasonable health risk in uncertain.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA167412
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office