Last Aug. 5, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a Note (no. 7244 dd. May 30, 2016) to explain the correct name to be quoted on the label of products obtained from wort or grape juice, made from wine grapes or table grapes or their mixtures that were processed with ion exchange resins, in concentration and possibly in separate crystallization of glucose and fructose, in re-mixing of the aforementioned monosaccharides and their re-dissolution in water. 

Apart from confirming what is expressed in the Legislative Decree no.151/2004, the Note specifies that the wording “Rectified concentrated wort” is specifically dedicated to a wine product made from wine grapes only. 

In the light of the explanations provided by EU Commission and Annex II of such Legislative Decree, the text shows that there are specific designations reserved for sugar produced from grapes. The traditional “grape sugar” is only allowed when sugar is extracted through the afore-mentioned processes, its composition is equivalent to that of raw material sugars and it is used as an ingredient in various food products other than wine products. Other denominations such as “grapes glucose”, “grapes fructose” and “grapes glucose and fructose” are accepted and they are valid when the corresponding monosaccharides are extracted from grapes or their mixtures (whose composition does not comply with the characteristics of the raw material and whose final use is as an ingredient in food products other than wine products). Finally, the wordings “sugary substances / sugars / glucose / grapes fructose” with the adding of “wine”, “table” or “wine and table” or “sugars / sugary substances / glucose / fructose obtained from grape juice processing” (or equivalent descriptions) are accepted when the corresponding products are obtained.

For any useful advice to prepare a correct label, we invite you to contact our Regulatory dept.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry website - 5.8.2016