Vinegar
vinegar, fermentation vinegar, wine vinegar, cider vinegar, spirit vinegar, vinagre, vinaigre, distilled vinegar, malt vinegar, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar
What it is
An acidic food produced when ethanol is converted into acetic acid by acetic acid bacteria. The conversion may leave some ethanol unconverted.
Why BOTIA flags it
Vinegar is made by converting alcohol into acetic acid, so it is not an alcoholic beverage. But some alcohol may remain unconverted, and the label does not say how much remains or what the vinegar was made from. OIC/SMIIC 1:2019, the standard followed by BOTIA, does not accept products containing alcohol and does not mention vinegar as an exception — so BOTIA marks it as doubtful, not prohibited.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect vinegar and specific declared types such as wine vinegar, cider vinegar, malt vinegar, rice vinegar or spirit vinegar.
- Explain why BOTIA classifies vinegar as doubtful under its OIC/SMIIC 1:2019 reference when the label cannot resolve possible residual alcohol.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how much residual ethanol remains in the vinegar from the ingredient list alone.
- Determine the original raw material when the label says only “vinegar” without identifying the type.