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Cheap Wines Chock-Full of Arsenic: Lawsuit
NBC Bay Area ^ | 3/20

Posted on 03/20/2015 12:57:42 PM PDT by nickcarraway

The wines named in the lawsuit are primarily inexpensive white or blush varietals including moscato, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc.

Many popular, inexpensive brands of wine made and distributed in California, including Trader Joe's famed "Two Buck Chuck," contain illegal and dangerously high levels of poisonous inorganic arsenic, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles.

Plaintiffs Doris Charles, Alvin Jones, Jason Peltier and Jennifer Peltier allege in their complaint that dozens of wineries are violating state law by knowingly producing, marketing and selling arsenic contaminated wine and failing to warn consumers about the potential danger. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, is seeking class-action status.

Some of the popular wine brands named in the lawsuit include Franzia, Menage a Trois, Sutter Home, Wine Cube, Charles Shaw, Glen Ellen, Cupcake, Beringer and Vendage. The wines named in the lawsuit are primarily inexpensive white or blush varietals including moscato, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc. A spokesperson for Trader Joe's said the chain is looking into the allegations.

"We take these concerns seriously and are investigating the matter with several of our wine-producing suppliers," Trader Joe's spokeswoman Rachel Broderick told NBC4. One other defendant named in the lawsuit, Treasury Wines, told CBS News that it was "fully compliant with all relevant federal and state guidelines," according to published reports. "These wineries have long known about the serious health risks their products pose to customers,'' plaintiffs' attorney Brian Kabateck said. "Yet instead of reducing the exposure to acceptable levels, the defendants recklessly engage in a pattern and practice of selling arsenic-tainted wine to California consumers."

The suit seeks unspecified damages and a court order directing the wineries to correct the alleged poor practices.

Arsenic is an odorless, colorless and highly toxic poison known to cause illness and death when ingested. Some of the long-term health effects of arsenic exposure include various types of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, medical experts say.

The 28 California wineries accused in the lawsuit "produce and market wines that contain dangerously high levels of inorganic arsenic, in some cases up to 500 percent or more than what is considered the maximum acceptable safe daily intake limit," the lawsuit alleges.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food
KEYWORDS: alvinjones; arsenic; beringer; california; charlesshaw; cupcake; dorischarles; franzia; glenellen; health; jasonpeltier; jenniferpeltier; menageatrois; sutterhome; traderjoe; traderjoes; twobuckchuck; vendage; wine; winecube
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1 posted on 03/20/2015 12:57:42 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Chiantis never had the same kick again after the antifreeze was taken out of them


2 posted on 03/20/2015 12:58:53 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: nickcarraway

Meh, unless these go for $3.99 a bottle, we don’t have to worry in this house...


3 posted on 03/20/2015 12:59:52 PM PDT by matginzac
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To: nickcarraway
Improvements in GC/Mass-Spec instrumentation has made 50 parts per billion detectable, but that doesn't mean it's harmful.

This is just trial lawyers hitting the "Cha-Ching" button.

People who are never exposed to anything have much weaker immune systems than those whose immune systems are challenged by low levels of things that are toxic at high levels. Same phenomenon as the fact that only-children are far more likely to contract leukemia than children from larger families.

HORMESIS - A biphasic dose response to an environmental agent characterized by a low dose stimulation or beneficial effect and a high dose inhibitory or toxic effect.

4 posted on 03/20/2015 1:00:32 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (If obama speaks and there is no one there to hear it, is it still a lie?)
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To: nickcarraway

Arsenic and Old Lace.


5 posted on 03/20/2015 1:00:54 PM PDT by Veggie Todd (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. TJ)
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To: BenLurkin

Fusel oils are great!


6 posted on 03/20/2015 1:01:19 PM PDT by hlmencken3 (I paid for an argument, but you're just contradicting!)
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To: nickcarraway

File photo of the Vintners believed to be at fault.

7 posted on 03/20/2015 1:03:41 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: BenLurkin

In the sixties dozens died in North Africa due to cooking oils being contaminated with recycled crankcase oil. IIRC it was in Libya.


8 posted on 03/20/2015 1:04:17 PM PDT by Covenantor ("Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern." Chesterton)
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To: nickcarraway

It’s up to $2.49 buck Chuck.

With that large of a percentage increase, Chuck should rate above all others.


9 posted on 03/20/2015 1:05:16 PM PDT by Scrambler Bob (an icon of resistance within the oppressed patriots, who represent resilience in the face of SSV)
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To: nickcarraway

10 posted on 03/20/2015 1:06:35 PM PDT by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: nickcarraway

Could the journalist not be bothered to ask what the source of the As is? Is it naturally occurring in the soil where the grapes are grown? Does it come from fertilizers or pesticides? Equipment sanitizing? Elves?


11 posted on 03/20/2015 1:07:06 PM PDT by posterchild (It takes a politician to declare a settled science.)
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To: nickcarraway
Years ago my wife sent me to the store to pick up some wine.

I asked her what type?

She said, "Just some cheap white wine"

This is what I brought home.

 photo cheapwine_zpssruwexty.jpg

12 posted on 03/20/2015 1:08:53 PM PDT by Zeneta (Thoughts in time and out of season.)
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To: Army Air Corps

Well played


13 posted on 03/20/2015 1:09:00 PM PDT by Covenantor ("Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern." Chesterton)
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To: nickcarraway

I stopped reading after...

“high levels of poisonous inorganic arsenic”

You mean there’s organic and inorganic arsenic?

Arsenic is an element - what exactly is the difference between organic and inorganic arsenic?

The dumbing down of society continues apace.


14 posted on 03/20/2015 1:10:09 PM PDT by aquila48
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To: nickcarraway

In another article, I read the wine has no more arsenic in them than the old water standards. And that was based on a person drinking 2 liters of water a day. Not many people drink 2 liters of wine a day.


15 posted on 03/20/2015 1:10:40 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (True followers of Christ emulate Christ. True followers of Mohammed emulate Mohammed.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

You changed water into wine in your post.


16 posted on 03/20/2015 1:11:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: posterchild

“Could the journalist not be bothered to ask what the source of the As is? Is it naturally occurring in the soil where the grapes are grown?”

If it is from the soil, they might be spiking their local economy.


17 posted on 03/20/2015 1:11:26 PM PDT by BeauBo
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To: nickcarraway

I just want to know if peloosi’s vineyard or wine is involved.


18 posted on 03/20/2015 1:12:22 PM PDT by 1_Rain_Drop
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To: Blood of Tyrants

SPEAK FOR YOURSELF! Hicc!

(I kid...I kid...)


19 posted on 03/20/2015 1:12:26 PM PDT by PennsylvaniaMom ( Just because you are paranoid, it doesn't mean they aren't out to get you...)
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To: nickcarraway

The article fails to answer why the winemakers are adding arsenic to the wines in the first place?

Not sure if I’m being sarcastic or not. Why would it only be in low cost wines? Different grapes, water?


20 posted on 03/20/2015 1:13:06 PM PDT by CodeJockey
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