Wine cork manufacturer can guarantee untainted corks with new rapid GC technique.

Find out how PEAK's Precision generators are used with GCs in labs around the globe.

Cork taint is very important for wine manufacturers as it can affect all wines, irrespective of price and quality. Cork stoppers are usually responsible for taint, although studies have found that other factors, such as wooden barrels, storage conditions and transport of corks and wine, can also cause these undesirable characteristics.

Cork taint refers to a set of undesirable smells or tastes that can be found in a bottle of wine. The main cause of cork taint is the chemical 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) or 2,4,7-tribromoanisole (TBA), which usually is transferred from the cork, and in some cases through the cork from the environment. TCA is one of the main factors associated with mould found in cork and small amounts of this compound can be responsible for ‘corked’ wine.

The Drinks Business reported that Amorim, the world’s largest producer of cork products, has launched natural cork NDtech which comes with a non-detectable TCA guarantee. Amorim created a pioneering cork screening system which is able to test each cork stopper individually, something that no other cork producer has been able to offer before, using sophisticated gas chromatography techniques.

Previously gas chromatography examination took up to 14 minutes, making it impossible to run on production lines, but with the new GC technique it can be done in seconds. NDtech can detect any cork with more than 0.5 nanograms of TCA per litre which then are removed from production line automatically. Amorim has commented that such precision in GC required to meet this standard on an industrial scale for 100% of the corks is a major breakthrough – it is equivalent to detecting one drop of water in 800 Olympic-size swimming pools!

Gas chromatography techniques, such as those used by Amorim, require a reliable and steady supply of gases. PEAK Scientific’s Precision range gas generators have been specifically designed for the purpose of ensuring precision and accuracy for your GC. Cutting-edge Precision Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Zero Air generators represent PEAK Scientific’s innovation in robust and dependable gas generator design. Our gas generators carry many benefits over traditional gas sources, such as cylinders, as it is a safer, more convenient alternative, reducing your laboratory’s downtime and providing consistent purity at a steady flow for uninterrupted analysis.