If you're over at the Shillery, the answer is a resounding "No! It's all good!". Mention of ethyl carbamate is absent, and is no doubt considered just another delicious ester. Personally, I'm concerned - sort of. And you should be too.
Sort of. Let's begin...
Now a few of you may have heard of this chemical compound that is naturally occuring in fermented foods, wines and spirits - "ethyl carbamate" (EC). EC is created as part of the fermentation process:
This is only one pathway; the oxidation of cyanide into cyanate is another. However produced, EC is beginning to be recognized as a probable human carcinogen:Yeasts break down arginine, an amino acid and important nutrient, into urea and ornithine
Yeast cells then either:
1. further degrade urea into ammonia for a nitrogen source OR
2. excrete urea.
Urea + ethanol + time + heat => ethyl carbamate
EC is often higher in port and sherry wines as urea concentration highest at 6-9 Brix, when fermentation is typically arrested.
Not good. Consequently Canada has taken steps to set limits, test products and reject unacceptable products. The United States - no doubt under corporate lobbying efforts - has set far fewer "voluntary" limits.In March 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) reclassified EC from a Group 2B possible human carcinogen to a Group 2A probable human carcinogen. In addition to ethyl carbamate, other Group 2A compounds include:
# acrylamide (found in many snack foods),
# anabolic steroids,
# PCB's,
# arsenic
# diesel engine exhaust
# mustard gas
Ethyl carbamate can further break down into vinyl carbamate (VC) and Vinyl carbamate epoxide (VCE) a substance with 40 times greater carcinogenicity than ethyl carbamate.
Don't hold yer breath. The European Food Safety Agency is close to following Canada's lead. Here are the limits:
I have recently learned that Barbancourt exceeded the Canadian limit for all but its Pango product, and has decided not to import their other rums into Canada. I would not be surprised if there are not other rums that are not imported into Canada for similar motivations.Mandatory limits in Canada set by Health Canada
Wines - 30 μg/L
Fortified wines - 100 μg/L
Distilled spirits - 150 μg/L
Sake - 200 μg/L
Fruit brandies - 400 μg/L
USA voluntary limits set by FDA
Table wines - 15 μg/L
Fortified wines - 60 μg/L
Many products are tested at the time of bottling; however, EC continues to be formed in the bottle (especially for wine) which is why later government testing is essential. As a solution, one company called Phyterra has developed a yeast that degrades the urea into NH3, which interrupts the chemical reaction, eliminates the production of EC, yet still provides needed nitrogen for the fermentation.
This will pose an interesting dilemma for rum distillers whose products are often intimately tied to proprietary or special yeasts to provide the desired flavor profiles. Can these yeasts be modified? Will they? And what effect will this have on long established flavor profiles.
Other resources indicate that the use of copper packing in the rectifying part of the still, and aggressive, thorough and frequent cleaning of the equipment can minimize the chemical precursors of EC.
I believe this is a very important development of great impact to both consumers and producers of rum.
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Citation: Link
