Higher lead levels were found in samples of wines poured from the bottle than in unpoured samples. Based on these findings, FDA proposed a regulation to declare lead foil wraps for wines to be a food additive that is unsafe, and further to prohibit the use of such wraps on wine bottles. Many wine producers in the United States and Europe have already stopped using them. FDA advises consumers to wipe the rim and top of the cork of wine bottles sealed with foil with a cloth dampened with water or lemon juice before removing the cork. Pregnant and lactating women have long been advised to avoid alcoholic beverages, including wine.
Lead contamination is another good reason for pregnant women to refrain from drinking wine.
Even at low levels, lead not excreted through the digestive system accumulates in the body and is absorbed directly into blood and soft tissues, including the kidney, bone marrow, liver, and brain. When lead leaves the bloodstream, it is stored in bone, along with other minerals, where it continues to build over a lifetime. Young children and pregnant women, however, absorb as much as 50 percent. The body cannot distinguish between calcium and lead. Once lead enters the body, it is assimilated in the bloodstream in the same manner as calcium, and, because young children and pregnant women absorb calcium more readily to meet their extra needs, they also absorb more lead.