keltin
Washing Up
I have a bottle of balsamic vinegar I paid less than $10. for. It's labeled:
Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Sweet Vinegar of Modena
Acidity 6%
Product of Italy
I bought it in a MA supermarket and there is no listing of ingredients on the label. Knowing the labeling laws, I have to assume ther is nothing in the bottle but Aged Balsamic Vinegar. If it contained brown sugar or caramel color, etc. it would have to be listed.
As it was not expensive, I assume it is a younger balsamic rather than one aged to a sweeter, richer, thicker consistency.
Has my logical mind led me astray? If so, tell me how.
Check the label, does it have “leaf” indicators on it? If so, the leaf rating is established enough that a full ingredient list isn’t needed. With a true aged Balsamic, the first ingredient you look for is “grape must”. But, since vinegar itself is an ingredient, it’s kind of a grey area as to whether vinegar itself needs an ingredient list.
With commercially produced Balsamic, a reputable manufacture will start with a good wine vinegar and add some balsamic to it. A dishonest manufacturer trying to cash in on the Balsamic craze will use cheaper ingredients and add sugars, caramels, etc.
Besides, there are exemptions to the labeling system. If the product has very little to no nutritional value, it doesn’t have to list ingredients, If it is made by a small business with less than a certain amount of income coming from the food product, it doesn’t have to list the ingredients. If the small business as less than a set number of employees, it doesn’t have to list the ingredients. There are several exemptions to listing the ingredients.
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