Imitation Is The Finest Form Of Compliment: Not So Fast On Agglom Safety

February 5, 2015 | Filed under Worth A Look | Posted by Lewis Perdue

BREAKING NEWS: FDA Update: Assessing Safety Of Agglom Corks Needs More Work

Interesting that the rush to clear agglom corks comes from publications that receive substantial advertising from cork companies.

This piece: Much Ado About Nothing:? borrowed quotes from the FDA statement contained in an email the FDA sent only to Wine Industry Insight.

We got that only after we pressed them numerous times them for a week to make some sort of comment. Attribution on that part would have been appropriate, but we’re flattered that they relied on our efforts.

The piece, below, should have borrowed a lot more of the FDA statement from Wine Industry Insight rather than just the first quote. Snatching the whole FDA comment would have offered readers a lot more information and context.

That email to WII, and the previous FDA letter offer a lot more ambiguity on safety and regulation than the misleading “cork is free and clear” statement at the bottom of this.

Anyway, here’s the entire FDA statement and one from Diam. Both the FDA and Diam’s statements would have run in WII’s original article had they been available at the time.

The Cheapest Shot

Ah … but the cheapest shot at the end of the piece below was the best of all … neglecting to mention that WII’s original article stated very clearly and early that the FDA action was spurred by a rival trade organization. And, of course, Wine Industry Network made no mention of the new EPA push that will snare corks as well.

Indeed, without our digging and subsequent revelations, no one would have known the reason for the FDA letter or its source. The sly intimation that somehow WII hung everything in article on the Sintesi complaint created a sleazy misconception.

Further, the safety issue is far from settled. WII has asked the FDA and Diam for information about the studies they have and whether or not they meet the gold standard for scientific credibility: published in a respected peer-reviewed journal.

FYI, Wine Industry Network has no affiliation with Wine Industry Insight. Their operation and its confusing name started several years after Wine Industry Insight was well established. Their choice of name and the resulting confusion has been unfortunate.

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