LCBO Pulls Four Brands Of Sherry From Its Shelves

Those who enjoy a sip of sherry after supper may want to check what brand they have stocked in the liquor cabinet after the LCBO pulled four makes from its shelves.

The province’s liquor retailer removed the sherries after testing found a chemical that’s considered a potential carcinogen.

The Oct. 26 Class 2 recall initially affected Brights Pale Supreme Sherry – 9,400 bottles were cleared out of stores after the chemical compound ethyl carbamate, naturally occurring in products like sherry that involve fermentation, was detected.

On Monday, three more sherries were recalled – London XXX Sherry, London Supreme Sherry, and Brights Canadian Dry Sherry.

Dr. George Soleas, the LCBO’s vice president of quality assurance, explained that sherry is often used in cooking and baking and the heat can act as a catalyst to increase the production of ethyl carbamate.

“It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it forms this compound in very small amounts … we’re talking about parts per billion,” Soleas said, adding that 110 parts per billion were found in the recalled sherry, just above the allowed limit of 100 parts per billion.

“We’re taking this measure simply because the product exceeds the maximum allowable limit. … If we felt that this posed an immediate risk, we would have done a recall, a Class 1.”

A Class 1 recall is more serious and involves a public announcement allowing customers to bring the product back for replacement. And though the LCBO has pulled the products Soleas says people shouldn’t be worried.

“There’s no immediate risk to anyone’s health,” Soleas said. “This is a precautionary measure.

“This is not like E. coli or botulism where you’re acutely affected. To be affected by something like this, you would have to consume it for a long time for many years, so there is no risk at all.”

He said consumers who have purchased the affected sherry can exchange it for something else at the LCBO or get a cash refund if they have their receipt.