The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved AkzoNobel’s Expancel Microspheres – which are used in amongst others bottle corks – as a safe product for contact with wines in the US.

Part of the company’s Pulp and Performance Chemicals business, the innovative and versatile product (Expancel FG52 DU 80) has been rapidly growing in popularity with micro-agglomerated wine cork manufacturers, as it helps to overcome some of the weaknesses of traditional cork.

Adding Expancel not only results in more consistent performance, it also makes wine corks easier to insert and ensures they mold themselves to form the ideal seal – keeping the liquid inside as perfect as possible.

“We are happy to receive the FDA’s formal approval of Expancel as a component of micro-agglomerated cork used for alcoholic beverage bottles,” said Director of Marketing & Sales for Expancel, Sylvia Winkel Pettersson.

“We know that one of the major issues winemakers are encountering is cork taint. This can be reduced or eliminated by cleaning the cork at granule size. By using Expancel Microspheres, regular, consistent and clean cork closures can be achieved. In turn, better corks ensure that wines are enjoyed as intended. The winemakers benefit from totally purified corks that make it possible to keep wine in a bottle for decades with consistent quality, which gives them a strong competitive advantage.”