Assessment of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content in dry and sweetened white wines

Abstract

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a water-soluble compound resulting from heating monosaccharides in acidic conditions (e.g. wine pasteurisation), potentially carcinogenic to humans. White wines obtained through classical winemaking technologies and subsequently pasteurised were assessed for their HMF content by UV-vis spectrometry. Different volumes of oversulfited and concentrated musts were added to increase the concentration of sugars in wines (10 to 50 g/L). Samples were subjected to heat treatment (45- 100°C) in time intervals correlated with temperature (<120 min). Pasteurised dry wines showed low HMF levels of 1.09-3.14 mg/L. HMF content of traditionally “mulled” wine was the highest in samples sweetened to 100 g/L sugars boiled for 10 minutes (>181mg/L). The HMF content in dry and sweetened white wines was correlated with high sugar content, high acidity, high temperature and a long heating time, normal pasteurisation (75°C, 1-2 min) leading to lower HMF amounts.