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Article: The hunt for TCA: how natural cork producers are detecting and eliminating taint from their lots.(PACKAGING)
- Article from:
- Wines & Vines
- Article date:
- January 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Wines & Vines. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Cork manufacturers' struggles with taint are well documented. The major compound responsible for musty taints associated with cork--2,4,6-Trichloroanisole--is formed in cork bark by the chemical combination of phenolic compounds and chlorine. The phenolic compounds are present as a result of the breakdown of lignin, which is the hard substance that naturally occurs in tree bark. The chlorine can come either from the environment or from fungi living on or in the bark.
Humans are incredibly sensitive to TCA and its chemical relatives, and we can detect them at very low concentrations. Most people can spot TCA at a concentration of around 5 ng/liter (which is the ...