Which foods contain sulfites

Sulphur comes from pollution sulphur diocide , sulphite-containing foods additives , and food packaging that has sulphur-containing compounds for sanitizing. Symptoms of sulphite sensitivity include: wheezing, chest tightness, asthma, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, flushing, difficulty swallowing, skin rash, hives, or anaphylaxis serious reaction.

Sulphites are added to foods to prevent bronwing or discolouring. They are preservatives and anti-microbial agents. In , the Canadian Food and Drug Regulation no longer permit the addition of sulphites to fresh fruits and vegetables except grapes and sliced potatoes. Frozen pastry dough often contains sulfites, but you can find frozen dough in sulfite-free varieties, so look for the designation on the label.

Certain alcoholic beverages, particularly beer, cider and wine, contain sulfites. It's possible to find sulfite-free beer and wine. Pickles, relishes and foods made with vinegar, except distilled white vinegar, contain sulfites.

Additionally, watch out for jams and jellies that typically contain the preservative in the form of pectin. If you miss having jam with your breakfast, try making fresh jam without pectin or look for pectin-free jam. Janet Renee is a registered dietitian with a focus on hormonal imbalance. She helps clients with issues like polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance balance their hormones and lose weight through dietary changes.

By Janet Renee Updated December 06, These agents are generally regarded as safe GRAS and only a few have been associated with allergic reactions.

Other documented reactions involve sulfites, which were first used in and were approved back in the s. These include sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, and both the bisulfites and metabisulfites of sodium and potassium.

By law, sulfites may not be used on foods meant to be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables. Nor can they be used on fresh produce or in restaurant salad bars.

Food manufacturers and processors are legally required to disclose the presence of sulfiting agents in concentrations of more than 10 parts per million, whether the sulfites are used during processing or are components of an ingredient in the food.

Regardless of the amount present, sulfites must be listed if they are used as a preservative or for certain functions in food, such as conditioning dough. Standardized foods such as pickles and bottled lemon juice must list sulfites on the label. Efforts have been made to rescind the status of GRAS on sulfited foods such as frozen potatoes, but the food industry has successfully opposed every effort to date.

Sulfite is a well-known air pollutant that is toxic to humans. When sulfur dioxide a by-product of fossil fuel combustion comes into contact with fluids that line the airway, it is converted into sulfite. Metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids also results in the production of sulfite, but an enzyme, present in tissue, detoxifies sulfites by oxidizing them into sulfates. A deficiency of this enzyme in humans can be fatal. Sulfites are also known to activate a certain cell of inflammation leading to the production of oxygen radicals.

Hence sulfite levels are closely regulated in the body. Sulfites have been associated both with occupational disease and death.