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# Is your wine tainted with carcinogenic arsenic
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/wine_carcinogenic_arsenic_0322150117/
- Published: 2015-03-22T14:13:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:01:58.000Z
- Description: A California Superior Court lawsuit accuses 28 wineries, among them Franzia, Sutter Home, Charles Shaw and Beringer, of selling wines containing inorganic arsenic at up to 500% or more of the maximum acceptable daily intake without warning consumers, mostly cheap white and blush varietals.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Chemical, Food Safety, #vivvo-import

Sunday March 22, 2015 (foodconsumer.org) -- High levels of highly toxic inorganic arsenic have reportedly been found in [rice](https://www.foodconsumer.org/arsenic%5Ffound%5Fhigh%5Fin%5Frice%5Frice%5Fbran%5F0713131141/) and [apple juice](https://www.foodconsumer.org/high%5Farsenic%5Ffound%5Fin%5Fsome%5Fbrands%5Fof%5Fapple%5Fjuice%5F0917110244/) and [chicken](https://www.foodconsumer.org/cancer%5Fcausing%5Farsenic%5Ffound%5Fin%5Fchicken%5F0713130823/). Now the toxic heavy metal has been found in some brands of wine at dangerous levels.

A [lawsuit](https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/f0533877/files/uploaded/Summons%5FComplaint.pdf?ref=foodconsumer.org) filed March 19, 2015 in California Superior Court revealed many popular, low-priced brands of wine contain carcinogenic inorganic arsenic at a concentration that is higher than that permitted by the EPA in public drinking water.

The suit claims dozens of wineries knowingly produce, market, and sell arsenic tainted wine and fail to warn consumers of the potential danger as required by California state law.

The lawsuit cites 28 California wineries as producing and marketing wines that "contain dangerously high levels of inorganic arsenic, in some cases up to 500% or more than what is considered the maximum acceptable safe daily intake limit."

Defendants cited in the lawsuit include popular wine producers like Franzia, Ménage à Trois, Sutter Home, Wine Cube, Charles Shaw, Glen Ellen, Cupcake, Beringer and Vendage. 

The brands of wine cited are mainly cheap white or blush varietals like Moscato, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

Arsenic can come from pesticides. Apples and grapes, particularly imported grapes are known for high levels of pesticide residues. 

Arsenic has been recognized by the National Toxicology Program as a human carcinogen, which means that exposure to it can increase risk of cancer. According to a [report](http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/content/profiles/arsenic.pdf?ref=foodconsumer.org) released by the federal agency, exposure to arsenic and inorganic can increase risk of many types of cancer including skin cancer, lung cancer, digestive tract cancer, liver cancer, urinary bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and cancers of lymphatic and hematopoietic systems. 

The NTP says in its report "the highest levels of arsenic (in all forms) are detected in seafood, rice, rice cereal, mushrooms, and poultry."

(David Liu, PHD)