Arsenic is an Element
At BevX I like to report on things that are positive and uplifting. However, there are times when I have to depart from the usual themes and deliver some cold hard truths. You are going to die. Yes, it’s true. One day, hopefully a day many, many years from now you will die. I hope this doesn’t scare you.
I cannot tell you when this day will come nor can I tell you how but I will wager everything that I own, have ever owned and ever will own that you will not expire due to arsenic in wine.
Sadly we have yet another hysterical consumer product scare in the form of arsenic in wine. If you are concerned by this I urge you to please take a deep breath, do a bit of research, and remain calm.
Here are a few simple arsenic-related facts to consider:
- Arsenic is a natural element (you will find it on your periodic table)
- Arsenic is omnipresent being in the ground we walk on, the water we drink, and the air we breathe
- Arsenic is found in varying amounts in most fruit, vegetables, and grains (check out the levels in apple juice)
- There is no standard for safe levels of arsenic in wine so the scare mongers have based it on the water standard. The problem with is that the water standard was created assuming a consumption rate of two liters of water per day. If you are drinking two liters of wine (2 and 2/3 bottles) per day arsenic is likely low on your list of concerns.
- Is it not interesting that the wines and the companies that make these wines are all large wine companies with deep pockets?
- The Denver-based laboratory of a man who appears poised to benefit from the arsenic testing. The owner of this lab is attempting to market his “services” to wineries. When he confronted the wineries named in the lawsuit with HIS results he was ignored. It seems to me that he attempted to make a sale and failed so this is the alternative plan to a payout – in my opinion. I can’t know the motives of this individual but to me this seems to be at the very least a plausible scenario.