Total SO₂ levels and risk assessment of wine and fruit wine consumed in South Korea

This study was conducted to determine the levels of total sulfur dioxide (SO₂) in various fruit wines distributed across South Korea and to conduct risk assessment for SO₂ exposure through wines. A total of 316 wines were analyzed in 2017, and the daily intake of wine was obtained from raw data provided in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2016. In order to conduct risk assessments, we used a stochastic approach using the Monte Carlo method and presented the results in three scenarios to resolve uncertainty about SO₂ non-detected (ND) data: the lower-bound scenario, which considers data below the limit of quantification (LOQ) to be 0 mg kg⁻¹, the ½ LOQ scenario, which considers data below the LOQ as half of LOQ, and the upper-bound scenario, which considers data below the LOQ as LOQ value. During the monitoring of 316 wines, the detection range of total SO₂ varied from ND to 340.06 mg kg⁻¹, and there were no products exceeding 350 mg kg⁻¹ total SO₂, which is the regulated level in South Korea. Risk assessment revealed that most South Koreans were ingesting a safe level of SO₂ through wine in terms of the acceptable daily intake (ADI, 0–0.7 mg kg⁻¹ body weight day⁻¹). Similar to the results of studies undertaken in other countries, only a limited percentage of South Korean individuals intake SO₂ at a reasonably high amount. The regular monitoring of high levels of SO₂ in wine should be a national concern, although this percentage is minimal, and we recommend that the standard be reset as appropriate.