AssoDistil, the association that represents and protects the main players in the Italian distillation sector, has registered the European collective mark ‘Natural Tartaric Acid’, designed to identify and promote tartaric acid of natural origin, clearly distinguishing it from synthetic tartaric acid.
The trademark, owned by the association, may be licensed free of charge and on a non-exclusive basis to member companies that request it, provided that the product is certified as pure natural tartaric acid and is not mixed with synthetic tartaric acid.
‘The registration,’ AssoDistil emphasises in a statement, ‘was made possible thanks to the contribution of our member companies that produce natural tartaric acid: Mazzari, Distillerie Bonollo, Caviro Extra and ICV (Bertolino Group).’
“ After promoting and supporting them, with the aim of obtaining SGS certification for Natural L (+) Tartaric Acid, emphasising its agricultural plant origin and highlighting the quality of the natural product compared to the synthetic one,‘ says Sandro Cobror, General Manager of AssoDistil, ’we have promoted actions aimed at protecting and promoting the sector, undertaking, in concert with our member companies, the process of registering a European collective mark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in order to provide adequate guarantees to producers at EU level, ensuring effective protection against any abuse or misuse. The activities undertaken are a tangible sign of the commitment of natural tartaric acid producers, who will be able to boast both certification of product quality and European protection on the correct use of the respective identification mark. End users of acid who are obliged by European regulations to use only products of viticultural origin will also benefit from being able to immediately recognise the product as legitimately authorised by the mark.
Extracted from the by-products of winemaking, natural tartaric acid is a highly versatile component that can be used in a variety of sectors. In the food industry, it is used as a natural acidifier and preservative in products such as jams, juices, preserves and soft drinks, as well as in emulsifiers for bread-making, in table waters as an effervescent agent and in confectionery products as a raising agent. In the wine industry, on the other hand, it is used as an acidity regulator in wines and musts, a practice for which European legislation stipulates that only tartaric acid of vinous origin may be used. Finally, other areas of application include the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and construction sectors.
