-- PRODUCT ALERT -- PRODUCT ALERT -- PRODUCT ALERT --
METHANOL CONTAMINATION IN ITALIAN WINES
TO: WHOLESALERS AND IMPORTERS OF WINE AND OTHERS CONCERNED:
As you may already know, the Italian Government has disclosed
that lethal amounts of methanol have been found in Italian
wines, and its ingestion has contributed to 20 deaths in
Italy. Lacking any evidence or real assurances from the
Italian Government that no methanol contaminated Italian wine
has been exported to the United States, ATF, as a precautionary
measure, has placed a U.S. embargo on all Italian wine
shipments pending the issuance of Italian certificates of
analysis attesting to safe levels of methanol in Italian
wines. These certificates of analysis will be issued by
testing laboratories in Italy which have been certified by the
Italian Ministry of Agriculture. Future shipments of all
Italian wines will require this certificate of analysis prior
to their release from Customs Custody.
In order to ensure that Italian wines already released from
Customs Custody have not been contaminated with unsafe levels
of methanol, all importers and wholesalers of Italian wines are
advised to refrain from selling Italian wines until they have
had each brand of wine in their inventory tested by a
commercial laboratory and certified as having a safe level of
methanol. It is also their responsibility to contact their
retail customers and instruct them to withhold the sale of
their Italian wines pending verification by laboratory analysis
of safe levels of methanol in these wines. A safe level has
been set by ATF to be 0.1% of methanol by volume of wine, per
advice of the Food and Drug Administration. Copies of all
laboratory analyses on Italian wines should be sent to ATF's
Alcohol Import-Export Branch, P.O. Box 385 Washington, DC
20044-0385. If laboratory analysis discloses unsafe levels of
Methanol, you are to notify ATF immediately at (202) 535-6245
for instructions as to the disposition of the wine. Under no
circumstances should this methanol contaminated wine be sold.
PRODUCT ALERT
Italian wines found to contain unsafe levels of methanol are
considered by ATF to be mislabeled and not eligible for sale in
the United States. Therefore, any wholesaler or importer who
conducts transactions in any Italian wines on or after the date
of this circular, without having all brands tested for safe
levels of methanol, and whose wines are subsequently found to
contain methanol in excess of 0.1% by volume, will be
considered by ATF to be in willful violation of the FAA Act and
subject to suspension or revocation of their FAA Basic Permit.
Any person having questions concerning the laboratory analysis
procedures required by this Industry Circular should contact
ATF's National Laboratory Center in Rockville, Maryland at
(301) 294-0410.
Upon receipt of this Industry Circular, you are instructed to
notify immediately by letter, ATF's Regional Office that you
have received a copy of this circular and advise them if you
are a wholesaler or importer of Italian wines. This
information will assist us in establishing a list for the
purpose of follow-up inspections.
Director
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