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Metabisulfite in balsamic vinegar


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I just realized that my balsamic contains metabisulfite. I have used it twice now, a total of about 8 tablespoons. I also had a salad with balsamic at a restaraunt and can only assume it had this as well. I'm on day 17 and curious if this means I am on day 1 again? Did I just screw myself?

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Well I came to the conclusion that it is indeed a slip up and cause to start over. I had already committed to doing a full 60 days so I am starting at day 1 tomorrow and still going 60 from tomorrow. A bittersweet moment.......obviously disappointed but knowing it was accidental has opened my eyes to labels even more so now. My confusion though came from ISWF as it says balsamic is ok. The problem for me was not reading the label as I went with that general statement. There are many types of balsamic and only some are compliant. Word to the wise, always read the label and never consume it, if you don't know what it is without research first! This goes for anything and everything! Day 1 here I come!

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Yeah. Some vinegars are fine and only have naturally occurring sulphites. Others, however, have sulphites added as a preservative and those are the ones that cause trouble in the gut.

I think there is a limit to how much CSI work you should do on food at restaurants. Personally, I would accept balsamic in restaurants as okay and not assume it is the kind that has added sulphites. That may be false sometimes, but it is already hard to eat out on plan. Now I am a person who has no gross responses to any particular off plan food or ingredient, so I don't suffer from behaving like that. A person with serious sensitivities, however, would experience notable problems. There is no perfect answer to this issue.

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Well I woke up this morning feeling less than my best and my stomach hates me. I apparently have an aversion of sorts to the added sulfites as everything else I ate has never caused issues before. I reflected on the past two times I also ate balsamic and realized I also felt bad afterwards and simply attributed the sensation to other factors. Either way it is enough for me to believe I would be doing myself a disservice if I did not start over to get the full Whole 30 effects, not to mention I am still aiming for 60. Thanks for the response Tom.

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My balsamic vinegar label says this:

ingredients: wine vinegar and concentrated grape must.

Below that it states: contains sulfites.

Does that mean naturally occurring or added? Does added sulfite state "metabisylfite" in the ingredients?

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To my understanding and tons of research last night..........I believe those sulfites are naturally occuring and ok. When it says "contains sulfites" those are typically natural. When it says added sulfites or metabisulfites, is when you have to worry.

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I just purchased balsamic vinegar with caramel listed as an ingredient and nothing breaking it down. This may seem like a silly question, but what exactly is caramel. A blend of sugars or something natural? I am leaning towards returning it but im still curious. I would think that it would be broken down more on the ingredients list

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I can't remember where I saw the breakdown of caramel coloring but it contained sugar. I would return it if you can. If you can find organic balsamic, it is more likely not to have anything icky in it. Napa Valley Naturals makes a really good one.

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I can only get one compliant flavored vinegar at my stores - it's a Red Wine one. Every single Balsamic, no matter how costly, either has metabisulphites or grape must (basically the equivalent of adding grape sugar to it). I hate only having one store to shop in that I can read labels at! I'm 3 months away from leaving Germany, and getting to the point where I can read labels now...not happening.

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I can only get one compliant flavored vinegar at my stores - it's a Red Wine one. Every single Balsamic, no matter how costly, either has metabisulphites or grape must (basically the equivalent of adding grape sugar to it). I hate only having one store to shop in that I can read labels at! I'm 3 months away from leaving Germany, and getting to the point where I can read labels now...not happening.

Balsamic is always made with grape must. It is simply crushed grapes. You can't make balsamic without grapes.

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Yep, wot Susan said :) True balsamic vinegar is made, not from wine but from pressed, crushed grapes, or grape must as it's called, before the wine making process begins, it's then fermented and aged for 12 - 25+ years in different wood casks. I doubt many of us have tasted the original Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena since it's sold in a special small bottle costing $150 - $400 for a couple of ounces depending on it's age.

Most of what we get is commercially produced balsamic vinegar of Modena and the quality varies widely. Some is produced more or less in the traditional manner, maybe not aged for as long or produced in different regions, some of the cheaper stuff is adulterated with caramel colouring, guar gum, or cornflour and, as we know, added sulphites.

I've never tasted the original, I gather it's divine, but I do try to get an organic one, failing that, at least one with no added nasties, but grape must is just the original ingredient it's made from. And no, I knew none of this until the subject cropped up here on W30 :P I absolutely love how it makes me search into things and keep learning :)

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I get all my vinegar at a specialty shop-aged 18 years and it is fabulous.There is no ingredient list. I have given up a lot these last 21 days and I don't have the time or energy to inspect every molecule-I apologize. I will not consider the last 21 days as a failure if an "ite" of some sort creeps into my vinegar. I applaud you guys for being so diligent-I admire your dedication! I have benefited a lot these last 3 weeks and I will continue long past the 30 days. One of the issues I have is being a bit obsessive about food and I want to break that a bit, for me. You guys are great!

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Cayenne, buying vinegar like that, you're probably getting a lot better than most of us - I'm jealous. Don't worry, we all just do the best we can. Become too obsessive and it'll take over your life rather than enhance it. As Robin keeps saying - there's no need to overthink things. Sounds like you're doing just great. :)

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Question then - why is there grape must AND grapes listed on the ingredient list then?

If I had to hazard a guess it might be because in the finished product they may be adding grape must back in at the end to "backsweeten" the product post-fermentation. I could go into the technical details, but it's easier to ferment to zero sugar content then kill the yeast/bacteria and add sugar back in (in whatever form) than it is to successfully ferment to a predictable sweetness level, adding in acetic acid bacteria just makes that even more complicated. That's my guess, on the label twice because it's added twice and technically in there in two forms. "Must" and "juice" mean precisely the same thing, so they maybe just wanted to get fancy with their wording.

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  • 4 weeks later...

SO glad to read that naturally occuring sulfites are acceptable. I thought I had read that somewhere, but when my new bottle of Boyajian 12-year old Balsamic Cocoa Vinegar arrived today, and I saw the "s" word, I was seriously bummed until I found this thread. Its ingredients are "must of grapes, aged wine vinegar, cocoa." And then it says "contains naturally occurring sulfites."

So all is well, and I can try out this yummy sounding stuff!

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SO glad to read that naturally occuring sulfites are acceptable. I thought I had read that somewhere, but when my new bottle of Boyajian 12-year old Balsamic Cocoa Vinegar arrived today, and I saw the "s" word, I was seriously bummed until I found this thread. Its ingredients are "must of grapes, aged wine vinegar, cocoa." And then it says "contains naturally occurring sulfites."

So all is well, and I can try out this yummy sounding stuff!

Yes and then send some to me please. Yum!!

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