any organic compound containing an amino group (NH2) and a carboxylic acid group (COOH). An amino acid, there are 20 common ones, is specified by an arrangement of three adjacent DNA nucleotides. These are the building blocks of proteins

any cancer causing substance or organism

the breakdown of complex chemical compounds into simpler ones.

the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) was created in 1963 by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish food standards, maximum levels allowed for contaminants and food additive levels, and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program. The main purposes of this Program are: protecting the health of consumers; ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade; and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations. The World Trade Organization (WTO) recognizes Codex as the body responsible for developing international food safety standards

any of numerous proteins produced by living organisms and functioning as biochemical catalysts in living organisms

also known as urethane, occurs as a colorless, odorless, flavorless, columnar crystal or a white, granular powder. Ethyl carbamate has long been recognized as a naturally occurring potential carcinogen in wine and several other fermented products

United States Food and Drug Administration

the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The FAO leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, it acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information

Genotoxic chemicals are those which are capable of causing damage to DNA. Such damage can potentially lead to the formation of a malignant tumor, but DNA damage does not lead inevitably to the creation of cancerous cells

the mass of ripe grapes and yeast that is fermented to produce wine. The original grapes, stems, skins, and unfermented liquid that is used to create a wine

the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization. The IARC's mission is to coordinate and conduct research on the causes of human cancer, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and to develop scientific strategies for cancer control

Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is an international expert scientific committee that is administered jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Its job is to evaluate the safety of food additives. Its work now also includes the evaluation of contaminants, naturally occurring toxicants and residues of veterinary drugs in food. This Committee also develops principles for the safety assessment of chemicals in food that are consistent with current thinking on risk assessment and take account of recent developments in toxicology and other relevant sciences

a white crystalline or powdery compound (CON2H4) released during fermentation with yeast

also known as Ethyl Carbamate. (see Ethyl Carbamate)

World Health Organization

any of various unicellular fungi capable of fermenting carbohydrates. A yellowish surface froth or sediment that occurs especially in saccharine liquids (as fruit juices) in which it promotes alcoholic fermentation, consists largely of cells of a fungus (family Saccharomycetaceae), and is used especially in the making of alcoholic liquors and as a leaven in baking