Arsenic-Tainted Wine: Overkill or a Real Killer?

A class-action lawsuit alleges more than 83 inexpensive California wines contain “dangerous” levels of arsenic, but arsenic content isn’t regulated in foods and beverages, other than water. (Photo by Robert S. Donovan via Creative Commons)

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If you drank a bottle of the alleged arsenic-tainted California wine, there’s probably no need to rush to the attorney’s office to update your will.

Experts say you’re not likely to die by drinking a bottle of wine produced by one of the 28 California winemakers and sellers named in a class-action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court for allegedly misrepresenting their arsenic-tainted wine as safe.

• Here’s the full list of companies and brands named in the lawsuit

The problem with arsenic – besides toxicity, of course – is you won’t be able to detect it by breathing in the bouquet and swishing the wine around in your mouth. Arsenic is odorless, tasteless and colorless – but potentially deadly over time.

Epidemiologist Allan Smith, associate director of the Arsenic Health Effects research program at the University of California-Berkeley, told CBS News the arsenic content of 50 parts per billion alleged in some of the wines named in the suit could be deadly over time.

“Arsenic is highly toxic, it’s astonishing,” he said. “It has as many effects inside the body as cigarette smoking.”

Wine Industry Claims Grandstanding

National Geographic describes arsenic – whose use as an instrument of murder traces back to at least the fourth century and is suspected in the deaths of Napoleon Bonaparte, King George III and other prominent historical figures – as “the poison of kings and the king of poisons.”

“Arsenic exploits certain pathways in our cells, binds to proteins, and creates molecular havoc,” the magazine said. “Small amounts taken over a long stretch produce weakness, confusion, paralysis. Take less than a tenth of an ounce (2.83 grams) at once, and the classic signs of acute arsenic poisoning ensue: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, then death.”

Also:

• Drink Any of These California Wines? They Contain Arsenic, Lawsuit Alleges
• Here’s the complaint

So it’s no surprise the wine industry and retailers who sell the suspect wines are taking the allegations seriously.

“The concerns raised in your inquiry are serious and are being treated as such,” Trader Joe’s, which sells Two-Buck Chuck, told CBS News. “We are investigating the matter with several of our wine-producing suppliers.”

The lawsuit amounts to grandstanding, said Chris Lehane, a spokesman for The Wine Group