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London - A South African wine produced in Stellenbosch has been identified by a European organisation as one of 34 from across the world that contains dangerous toxins.
The study which was done by the Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN-Europe), an organisation concerned with reducing the use of toxins in agricultural products, showed that wine was "systematically infected" and that this was a worldwide problem.
The South African wine industry said, however, that the levels of the two fungicides that were found in the wine of a Stellenbosch producer were considerably lower than the international minimum levels for these specific substances.
PAN-Europe analysed 40 bottles of wine - 13 from France, 10 each from Austria and Germany, three from Italy and one each from Australia, Chile and South Africa.
Of these wines, 34 contained residue from a total of 24 different toxins that had been sprayed on the grapes.
Seven of these were carcinogenic and another four were described as "dangerous" by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The Stellenbosch wine contained residue of two fungicides, dimethomorph and flusilazol.
The latter was described as carcinogenic by the European Union and could influence cell reproduction.
The organisation did not want to say which producer's wine had been tested.
A spokesperson for PAN-Europe, Elliott Cannell, said their goal was to draw attention to a widespread problem in the wine industry.
Cannell told Die Burger on Thursday: "It would be nasty to destroy the businesses of individual producers, some of whom have been in the industry for generations, by identifying them."
Jacques Rossouw, head of Integrated Production of Wine (IPW), a South African producers' organisation which is concerned with sustainable wine production, said on Thursday the industry and the Department of Agriculture regularly carried out tests to ensure that grapes and wine adhered to international standards.
Levels lower than the minimum
"In 10 years of regular testing, the IPW and the Department of Agriculture have never found a single case of wine or grapes being contaminated with unacceptably high levels of toxins."
Rossouw said that the levels of dimethomorph and flusilazol that were found by PAN-Europe were far lower than the strictest specified minimum for these substances in any wine-producing country.
"Of course, it's unpleasant if one of our wines appears on this kind of list, but, on the other hand, it is an independent confirmation that the tests which we use in South Africa do work.
"One can only measure oneself by a guideline which has been scientifically determined."