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Genetically Altered Yeast Ends Wine Hangovers

But remedy doesn't sit well with purists

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 10, 2009 8:30 PM CDT

(Newser) – A Canadian scientist has found a genetically modified hangover cure. He distributes an altered yeast, MLo1—which eliminates compounds that cause headaches in red and many white wines—to 40 winemakers in the US and Canada. But some vintners and winos are resisting the genetic alteration of their craft, which comes with headache-inducing moral quandaries of its own, writes James McWilliams in the Atlantic.

Most Americans want modified food labeled, but manufacturers worry it would stigmatize them. "Wine, of all products, could break down the barrier," McWilliams writes. "If consumers knew they could buy wine that would prevent headaches, they'd almost certainly give it a shot. Waiting in the wings are a host of GM products that offer concrete consumer advantage."

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A glass of red, hangover-free? (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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The choice between drinking conventional wine and getting walloped and drinking wine made with GM yeast and feeling vibrant poses a gastronomic conundrum for many consumers. - James McWilliams, Atlantic

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Genetically Altered Yeast Ends Wine Hangovers