Genetically modified yeast for wine rejected

Cape Town — The government has rejected an application from a South African-born scientist and his business partners to sell genetically modified yeast to local wine producers, saying it cannot risk jeopardising the industry's access to key European markets.

About two-thirds of SA's wine exports are destined for Europe, where consumers are notoriously skittish about genetically modified organisms. The UK took 38% of SA's wine exports last year, followed by Sweden (13%) and the Netherlands (11%).
Last year, Canada-based Prof Hennie van Vuuren sought a permit to sell local wine producers a form of malolactic yeast that he had engineered to reduce some of the headache-inducing properties of wine. Many people lack sufficient enzymes to break down the amines that are produced during the fermentation process, so Van Vuuren developed a yeast that produced fewer of these annoying compounds.

Biowatch, a lobby group that campaigns against genetically modified organisms, and 11 top wine producers, formally opposed Van Vuuren's application. They raised concerns about the effect the yeast might have on human health, the environment and exports.

The application also ran into opposition from the South African Wine Council, which represents the industry.

The chair of the genetically modified organisms executive council, Julian Jaftha, said the application had been rejected in September, solely on trade grounds.

The council includes representatives of several government departments, including trade and industry, environmental affairs and tourism, and health.

The council noted that the International Organisation of Wine and Vine, an industry body that includes SA, had not yet devised guidelines on the use of genetically modified organisms in wine production, he said.

Jaftha said the council had carefully evaluated the application, and had no health or environmental concerns about the genetically modified yeast.

Roger Warren, the local representative of the French company, Springer Oenology, which has commercialised Van Vuuren's genetically modified yeast, said he was disappointed by the council's decision.

He said he hoped the council would review its decision if, at a later stage, the International Organisation of Wine and Vine gave genetically engineered yeast the green light.

Biowatch director Leslie Liddle welcomed the council's decision, but expressed concern that the agriculture department had not communicated directly with the lobby group, but simply posted the information on its website.

Source: Business Day

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