Carcinogenic and Mutagenic Substances Found in French Wines

A recent analysis by the French consumer magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs has raised concerns about the presence of pesticides in wines from the Chablis and Bordeaux regions. The investigation focused on pesticide residues in French wines and revealed that a significant portion of the wines tested contained molecules linked to health risks, including carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic (CMR) substances.

The study included 14 affordable wines, comprising whites from Chablis and Muscadet, and reds from Bordeaux and Côtes du Rhône. The researchers searched for traces of 742 pesticide molecules and their metabolites and found residues in 20 samples. The most alarming findings came from Chablis, where half of the wines tested contained pesticides, including CMR residues in four of them.

Among the wines with the worst results was one from the Lamblin & Fils winery, which received a score of 8.6 out of 20 due to the presence of two suspected CMR molecules: folpet and fluopicolide. The analysis also found one of these substances in a wine from the Laroche winery, which was the only Chablis wine certified with the High Environmental Value (HVE) label. This certification, designed to promote sustainability, was criticized in the report.

Despite these findings, the study highlighted a significant difference between conventional and organic wines. Organic Chablis wines had much lower average levels of sulfites (57 mg/L) compared to conventional ones, which reached nearly 105 mg/L. Although all the wines tested complied with the legal limit of 200 mg/L of sulfites, organic wines performed better in terms of pesticide residues. Muscadet wines, on the other hand, showed the highest sulfite levels among the white wines tested, averaging 100 mg/L.

For red wines, the report revealed that organic Bordeaux wines also had lower sulfite levels (22.5 mg/L) compared to conventional counterparts. However, some HVE-certified wines from this region showed disappointing results, with an average of 62.9 mg/L of sulfites. The Citran 2022 and Expert Club 2022 wines contained pesticides, though in very small amounts. The presence of two CMR fungicides, fluopicolide and dimethomorph, in Expert Club raised concerns. It is worth noting that dimethomorph, classified as a Class 1 CMR, has been banned in HVE wines since 2024, though this wine was produced before the prohibition.

Côtes du Rhône wines, meanwhile, showed better results, with an average of 37.4 mg/L of sulfites. However, four samples contained the pesticide folpet, classified as a skin irritant and suspected carcinogen, though its levels were minimal.

In conclusion, organic wines proved to be a safer option in terms of the absence of pesticide residues. All certified organic wines in the analysis were free of synthetic pesticides. However, the report warns that organic production is not free from other chemicals, such as copper and sulfur, which, while washed away by rain, can still affect the soil. The HVE certification was criticized for its focus on biodiversity, which, according to the study, is not entirely transparent for consumers.