FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK
FACTSHEET
Sulphites (220-228)
220
221 Sodium
sulphite
222 Sodium
bisulphite
223 Sodium
metabisulphite
224 Potassium
metabisulphite
225 Potassium
sulphite
228 Potassium
bisulphite
Sulphites are some of the oldest and most widespread preservatives in
our food supply. They were used in Greek and Roman times in wine, but it was
only in the 1880s that their use in as preservatives in meats was pioneered by
Australian and South American beef producers wanting to ship their products to
England. The use of sulphites in fruit and vegetables became common with the
growth of the processed food industry in the twentieth century.
Sulphites destroy thiamine (Vitamin B1) so some experts recommend that
foods which are a significant source of thiamine, such as meats, dairy foods
and cereals should not be sulphited. In
Sulphites have been associated with the full range of food intolerance
symptoms including headaches, irritable bowel symptoms, behaviour disturbance
and skin rashes but are best known for their effects on asthmatics since the
well publicised 'salad bar' deaths of the 1970s and 80s when there were
hundreds of reports of severe reactions and at least 12 asthmatics died from
eating salads that had been sprayed with sulphites in restaurants. This use was
banned in the
At first sulphites were thought to affect only a small percentage of the
population but in 1984, Australian researchers found that more than 65% of
asthmatic children were sensitive to sulphites, and in 1999 the conservative
World Health Organisation (WHO) revised upward their estimate of the number of
sulphite-sensitive asthmatic children, from 4% to 20-30%.
On the recommendation of the WHO, food regulators have been working
slowly to reduce the use of large amounts of sulphite preservatives in our
foods. However, for children this reduction can be offset by increasing
promotion of dried fruit as a healthy snack under new canteen guidelines
prompted by the obesity epidemic. Since any dose of sulphites can be too much
for asthmatics, individuals must learn how to avoid sulphites for themselves.
How to
avoid sulphites
(adapted from Fed
Up with Asthma by Sue Dengate, published by Random House Australia,
2003)
For starters, avoid everything containing listed ingredients in the
range 220-228
However, many of the sulphites you eat will be in unlabelled foods. When
you look at the sulphite lists below, you can see why an additive-free
low-salicylate diet works so well for sulphite-sensitive asthmatics. By
avoiding processed foods and salicylates in fruit, fruit drinks, dried fruit,
fruit flavoured breakfasts, cookies, snacks, muesli bars, yoghurt, icecream and confectionary, you are also getting rid of
sulphites.
There is a big gap between reading sulphite lists and understanding
whether the food you buy or a restaurant meal contains sulphites. The best way
to find out which foods contain sulphites is to ask consumers who are
particularly sulphite sensitive.
Liz, a sulphite-sensitive asthmatic from Australia, recommends avoiding
sausages, all processed deli meats, cordials, jams, shop produced fruit salad,
pickled anything with vinegar, shop bought hot chips, dried foods like apricots
and 'anything that isn't natural'.
Rick Williams from the USA, who runs the Nosulfites
website, suffers severe headaches from eating the smallest quantities of
sulphites. The list of sulphites in US processed foods below gives an idea of
the size of the problem. 'Current regulations discourage the use of large
amounts of sulfites,' says Rick. 'Today, the problem
is low levels of sulfur dioxide in practically
everything you touch.' Sulphites under 10 ppm
in the
A 1994 survey by Australian food regulators found sulphites in more than
half the foods tested including such staples as bread and margarine, with
sulphites higher in white bread than wholemeal.
If you look at ingredient listings of fast food companies, you will see
that few of the ingredients have sulphites listed. This does not mean that the
foods are sulphite-free. Small amounts of sulphites all add up, in processed
food ingredients like corn syrup solids, cornstarch, maltodextrin,
potato starch and flakes, beet sugar, bottled lemon juice used for flavouring
and dressings, glucose syrup, the caramel colour used in cola drinks and
sulphites in pizza crust. If the level of sulphites exceeds 10ppm it is
required to be listed on the Ingredients panel, but often it is not.
The easiest way to avoid sulphites is to avoid all processed foods. The
foods in failsafe shopping lists are sulphite-free except for some gluten-free
flours with sulphite residues. Fresh fruit and vegetables are sulphite-free.
Dried tree fruit such as apricots, peaches, apples and pears are mostly sulphited unless from specialty stores (see Dangers of dried fruit factsheet)
Dates, prunes, figs, sultanas and raisins may be sulphite-free but can contain
extra high levels of salicylates. If you have done your elimination diet and
challenges, and found that you react to only sulphites, you can add back the
food chemicals which don't cause problems. This is the hard part -
reintroducing foods without making mistakes. If your symptoms recur, you need to
go back a few steps.
Sulphites
in Australian foods Maximum permitted (ppm
or mg/Kg)
|
Alcoholic
beverages Wine,
sparkling and fortified, more than 35 g/L sugar Wine as
above, less than 35 g/L sugar Wine
(fruit, veg, mead) , more than 5g/L sugar Wine as
above, less than 5g/L sugar Mixed
alcoholic drinks Beer Baked
goods As a dough
conditioner Flour
products incl noodles and pasta Biscuits,
cakes and pastry Beverages,
non-alcoholic Fruit
juice, drinks, soft drinks, cordials Condiments
and relishes Chutneys Pickles,
pickled onions, gherkins Vinegars
and related products Sauces and
toppings, mayonnaise Fish and
shellfish Uncooked
crustaceans (prawns, shrimps, crab, crayfish, lobster) Cooked
crustaceans Fully
preserved fish incl canned products Canned
abalone Fresh
fruit and vegetables Fresh
prepared salads and fruit salads (illegal but it happens) Grapes
packed with permeable envelopes
Processed
fruits and vegetables Candied
fruit and vegetables Dried
fruit (in fruit bars etc) Desiccated
coconut
Mixed
dried fruit (in cakes) Imitation
fruit (eg cherries) Apples and
potatoes for manufacturing
Fruit and
veg preparation for manufacturing Fruit and
veg preparation incl pulp Avocado,
frozen
Carrots,
dried (in cake) Dried
vegetables Potatoes
(hot chips, French fries)
Gelatine Gelatine
Grain
products and pasta Softening
of corn kernels for starch
Meat Deli meats
Minced beef
(sulphites are illegal but mince often contains the much as sausages Sausages
and sausage meat (raw) Edible
casings Nuts and
nut products Desiccated
coconut Sugars and
syrups Glucose
syrup Molasses Sweet
sauces, toppings, syrups Fruit
toppings, syrups |
400 250 300 200 250 25 60 300 300 115 285 750 100 350 100 30 30 1000 0 10 2000 3000 50 3000 3000 200 1000 350 300 3000 3000 200 750 60 500 0 500 500 50 450 450 350 |
Sulphites in US foods
Alcoholic
beverages Wine,
beer cocktail mixes, wine coolers
Baked goods Cookies, crackers,
mixes with dried fruit or vegetables, pie crust, pizza crust, flour tortillas
Beverage
bases Dried
citrus fruit beverage mixes
Condiments
and relishes Horseradish,
onion and pickle relishes, pickles, olives, salad dressing mixes, wine vinegar
Confections
and frostings Brown,
raw, powdered or white sugar derived from sugar beet
Dairy
product analogues Filled
milk (skim milk enriched with vegetable oils)
Fish and
shellfish Canned
clams; fresh, frozen, canned or dried shrimps; frozen lobster, scallops, dried
cod
Fresh fruit
and vegetables Banned
except for fresh pre-cut potatoes and sulphur dioxide used as a fungicide on
grapes
Processed
fruits Canned,
bottled or frozen fruit juices (including lemon, lime, grape, apple); dried
fruit;
Processed fruits (cont) canned, bottled or frozen dietetic
fruit or fruit juices; maraschino cherries, glazed fruit
Processed
vegetables Vegetable
juices; canned vegetables (including potatoes); pickled vegetables (including
sauerkraut, cauliflower, and peppers);
Processed vegetables (cont) dried vegetables; instant mashed potatoes; frozen potatoes;
potato salad
Gelatins,
puddings, fillings Fruit
fillings, flavoured and unflavoured gelatin, pectin, jelling agents
Grain
products and pasta Cornstarch,
modified food starch, spinach pasta, gravies, hominy, breading, batters,
noodle/rice mixes
Jams and
jellies Jams
and jellies
Nuts and nut
products Shredded
coconut
Plant
protein products Soy
protein products
Snack foods Dried fruits
snacks, trail mixes, filled crackers
Soup and
soup mixes Canned
soups, dried soup mixes
Sweet
sauces, toppings Corn
syrup, maple syrup, fruit toppings, high-fructose corn syrup, pancake syrup,
molasses
and syrups
Tea Instant
tea, liquid tea concentrates
[from Fazio T and Warner CR A review of
sulphites in foods. Food additives and contaminants 1990;7(4):433-454]
Eating
out
For children in
It is easiest to eat at a few places that you know well. Ask about
ingredients. Plain foods like steak or grilled fish and jacket potatoes are
safest. Avoid commercial soups, dips, sauces, gravies and dressings.
Liz suggests: "It is really trial and error. I stick to things that
are as fresh and as natural as possible. Chinese and Thai food is okay for me
especially if they use lots of veges and I always go
where they don't use MSG. I avoid takeaway food as much as possible, as most
pre-prepared foods have metabisulphite in them. If I must eat out, I choose
salad on rolls or brown rye, and avoid dressings. I don't eat takeaway pizzas,
preferring to make my own so I have control over what goes into them. Before
ordering anything when out, ask what has gone into it. If there are any doubts,
don't order it. You soon get to know what you can and can't eat."
Children’s sulphite intake
Major sulphite sources for children include dried
fruit, sausages, drinks and sometimes, hot chips or fries, see below for
possible sulphite intake per serve.
• dried fruit 16 mg in one dried apricot
• sausages 8 mg in half a thin sausage
• drinks 5 mg in one glass of cordial
• hot chips 1 mg in half a cup of hot chips
Sulphites
in minced meat
As part of the worldwide attempt by food regulators to reduce sulphite
intake, in Australia and Europe sulphites have been banned in minced meat
although not in sausages, some processed meats (such as devon
or frankfurters) and burgers which contain a minimum of 4% cereal products
(also called rissoles or patties). Some butchers choose not to comply with this
regulation, since sulphites are a very effective preservative, maintaining or
restoring the rich red colour of 'fresh' meat long after the meat has ceased to
be fresh. A NSW food authority survey found 2003 found 56% of mince samples
contained illegal sulphites. To be really sure that your mince is sulphite
free, you must quiz your butcher thoroughly or test it yourself with sulphite
test strips, available from us at cost.
Sulphites
in potato products
Potato products are considered to be a major source of
sulphites in the US. In Australia,
whether frozen French fries are sulphited depends on
which factory, not which brand, did the processing. A small survey of takeaway
hot chips found that the majority of samples were sulphite free, but there is
no way for consumers to know which ones are safe, and Australian asthmatics
have reported reactions to takeaway hot chips (see story [443]). Dried mashed potato – used extensively in
some childcare centres and some processed foods such as pies or chicken patties
– is highly sulphited. The FDA website warns
asthmatics: ‘If you want to eat potatoes when out, order a baked potato rather
than fries, hash browns, mashed potatoes or any dish that involves peeling the
potato first. For a snack, potato crisps are safe, fries are not.
Wine
without wheeze
Is it possible to make a decent sulphite-free wine? Former Australian Magazine wine writer
Max Allen thought so. He devoted an entire column to a rave review of the 1999 Happs PF Red, 'a brilliant, young, dark purple colour, with
good, bold, berry fruit and a spicy, direct whack of juicy current flavour in
the mouth'. Since then Happs have also introduced a
PF white, see www.happs.com.au for
stockists and others under Product Updates.
Note that preservative-free wine is not suitable for salicylate responders and
many not be suitable for extra sensitive sulphite responders. Stick to your gin
and tonic, whisky and soda or vodka.
Exceeding the limit
Sulphites in processed foods and drinks sometimes massively exceed legal limits. In
2003, bottles of Australian Creston Bay Brand Cabernet Shiraz red wine were
withdrawn from sale by the Lidl European supermarket
chain when sulphur dioxide was found at up to 17 times the permitted level.
Authorities commented, “This amount could trigger an attack in a person with
asthma who uncorks a bottle and inhales the smell without even tasting the
wine.”
Who's
watching?
In Australia, sulphites are not permitted on fresh fish. One mother
reported 'we know if a food contains sulphites because my son has trouble
breathing within a minute of eating it. Most fish is OK but occasionally he
reacts'. Prawns always contain sulphites to preserve colour. The maximum
permitted level is 30 ppm, but how well is it
monitored? One seafood worker explained how they use 'metta'
(sodium metabisulphite, 223). It is a white powder sprinkled over sackfuls of
fresh prawns by people wearing rubber gloves. Some prawns must have higher
readings than others.
While we were testing recipes, my husband noticed that there were no
sulphites listed on the brand of glucose syrup available in our supermarket.
Since one of his first jobs as a food scientist involved monitoring sulphite
levels in glucose syrup, he contacted the company. They assured him they were
using up old labels and would list it on the new labels. We watched with
interest. It was three years before sulphites appeared on those labels.
The rise and fall of sulphites
In
developing countries such as India and Indonesia where traditional foods are
additive free, the childhood asthma rate is about 2 per cent, although it rises
with the introduction of the Western diet. In Australia, the rate of childhood
asthma rose from about 10 per cent in the 1970s to about 30 per cent today.
There are now signs that the increase in asthma rates in developed countries
may have peaked. Asthma experts are unable to explain these changes; however,
we suggest that the asthma rate corresponds with additive consumption levels,
especially sulphites, in processed foods, which increased during the last two
decades of the twentieth century, and are stabilising
now that food regulators are finally taking monitoring, surveillance and
labeling of sulphites more seriously. If sulphites are slowly phased out
according to WHO recommendations, we can expect childhood asthma rates to drop,
but in the meantime, asthmatics need to know about sulphites.
What you can do
The FDA warns that sulphite-sensitive asthmatics should never assume a
food is safe to eat:
- If the
food is packaged, read the label.
- If food
is not packaged, eg sausages or deli meat, check ingredients with the
manager.
- When
eating out, check ingredients with the waiter or manager. Avoid foods
listed above.
- Always
carry your asthma medication when eating out.
- If you
have ever had a severe reaction to sulphites, carry injectable adrenaline
with you.
"It takes some doing, but you can take steps to minimize your
contact with sulfites if you are diagnosed with
asthma or sulfite sensitivity … But you may not even know you have a problem
with sulfites until a reaction occurs. Undiagnosed
people are at risk because even if they know that sulfites
can cause adverse reactions, they often don't associate sulfites
with their own health problems." – FDA consumer safety officer Dr JoAnn Ziyad,
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/096_sulf.html
Consumers shouldn't have to go through all this. Unbiased scientists at
the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (www.cspinet.org)
recommended banning sulphites 25 years ago. In the meantime, food scientists
have developed more alternatives.
"The obvious public health response would
be to remove the irritants, if possible, from the foods that children
eat."
- Centre for Science in the Public Interest
The answer is clear: REFUSE TO BUY! And tell the food companies
of your decision.
References
Abstracts of most papers
listed below are available at www.pubmed.com
History of sulphites
·
Bell S Social networks and
innovation in the South American meat industry during the pre-refrigeration
era: Southern Brazil and Uruguay in comparison. Revista
Electronica de Geographia y
Ciencias Sociales.
Universidad de Barcelona. 2000, 69(84), www.ub.es/geocrit/bell_eng.htm
·
Taylor SL, Higley
NA, Bush RK. Sulfites in foods: uses, analytical
methods, residues, fate, exposure assessment, metabolism, toxicity, and
hypersensitivity. Adv Food Res 1986;30:1-76.
Sulphites destroy thiamine
·
Media release from the Australian
Veterinarian Association, “AVA warns of deadly preservative in pet meat”, http://www.ava.com.au/news.php?c=0&action=show&news_id=16
·
Steel RJ. Thiamine deficiency in a
cat associated with the preservation of 'pet meat' with sulphur dioxide. Aust
Vet J. 1997;75(10):719-21
·
Quattrucci
E, Masci V. Nutritional aspects of food
preservatives. Food Addit Contam.
1992;9(5):515-25. This paper also discusses the effect of sulphites on folate –
a vitamin which is now used to fortify certain foods such as bread
Sulphites associated with a full range of food intolerance symptoms
especially asthma
·
Feingold BF, Recognition of food
additives as a cause of symptoms of allergy, Ann Allergy 1968;26:309-13.
·
Genton
C, Frei PC, Pecoud A. Value of oral provocation tests
to aspirin and food additives in the routine investigation of asthma and
chronic urticaria. J Allergy Clin Immunol.
1985 Jul;76(1):40-5.
·
Freedman BJ Asthma induced by
sulphur dioxide, benzoate and tartrazine contained in orange drinks. Clin Allergy 1977 7(5):407-15.
·
Baker GJ, Collett
P, Allen DH. Bronchospasm induced by metabisulphite-containing foods and drugs.
Med J Aust 1981; 2:614-6.
·
Yang WH, Purchase ECR. Adverse
reactions to sulfites, Can Med Assoc J
1985;133:865-880.
·
Friedman ME, Easton JG Prevalence of
positive metabisulfite challenges in children with asthma. Pediatr
Asthma Aller Immunol 1987;1:53-59.
·
Timberlake CM, Toun
AK, Hudson BJ, Precipitation of asthma attacks in Melanesian adults by sodium
metabisulphite. PNG Med J 35:186-190, 1992.
·
Steinman HA, Le Roux M, Potter PC.
Sulphur dioxide sensitivity in South African asthmatic children, S Afr Med J 1993; 83: 387-390.
·
Corder
EH, Buckely CE 3rd, Aspirin, salicylates, sulfite and tartrazine induced bronchoconstruction.
Safe doses and case definition in epidemiological studies. J Clin Epidemiol 1995; 48(10):
1269-75.
·
Gastaminza
G, Quirce S, Torres M, Tabar
A, Echechipia S, Munoz Fernandex
de Corres L, Pickled onion-induced asthma: a model of
sulfite-sensitive asthma? Clin
Exp Allergy 1996;25(8):698-703.
·
Hodge L, Yan
KY, Loblay RL. Assessment of food chemical
intolerance in adult asthmatic subjects. Thorax. 1996 Aug;51(8):805-9.
·
Gall H, Boehncke
WH, Gietzen K. Intolerance
to sodium metabisulfite in beer. Allergy. 1996;51(7):516-7.
·
American Academy of Pediatrics. "Inactive" ingredients in
pharmaceutical products. Pediatrics 1997;99(2):268-278.
·
Arai Y, Muto H, Sano Y, Ito K. Food
and food additives hypersensitivity in adult asthmatics. III Adverse reactions
to sulfites in adult asthmatics. Arerugi
1998 47(11):1163-7.
Salad bar deaths
·
Tollefson
L. Monitoring adverse reactions to food additives in the U.S. Food and Drug Administation. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 1988
8(4):438-46.
Number of sulphite sensitive children
·
Towns SJ, Mellis
CM. Role of acetyl salicylic acid and sodium metabisulfite in chronic childhood
asthma. Pediatrics. 1984 ;73(5):631-7. This paper
found more than 65 per cent of asthmatic children were sulphite sensitive
·
World Health Organisation -
Fifty-first meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.
Safety Evaluation of sulfur dioxide and sulfites and addendum, Geneva: World Health Organisation,
1999, http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v042je06.htm
How to avoid sulphites
·
The NoSulfites
website – see Rick Williams’ hints at http://www.learningtarget.com/nosulfites/
·
A 1994 survey by Australian
regulators - Australia New Zealand Food Authority, 1994 Australian Market
Basket Survey, 1996, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra. This
data was analysed again using a different method in 2005 and is available on
the internet - Food Standards Australia New Zealand, The 21st Australian Total
Diet Study: a total diet study of sulphites, benzoates and sorbates,
FSANZ 2005, http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/publications/21staustraliantotald2963.cfm
·
Sulphites in Australian foods, from
FSANZ website, www.foodstandards.gov.au
·
Sulphites in US foods, from Fazio T and Warner CR A review of sulphites in foods. Food
additives and contaminants 1990;7(4):433-454.
·
Preservative free sausages – www.honestbeef.com
Sulphites in minced meat and sausages
·
Magee E, Edmond L, Cummings J,
Intakes of sulphur containing additives and their stability in food during
storage (Project A01021), UK Food Standards Agency, 2001.
·
Armentia-Alvarez
A and others, Residual levels of free and total sulphite in fresh and cooked
burgers. Food Addit Contam
1993;10(2):157-165.
·
Scottish Food Co-ordination
Committee. A survey of the level of sulphur dioxide preservatives in minced meat
in Scotland 1988-1992.
http://archive.food.gov.uk/ scottish_exec/pdf/sulphdi.pdf (accessed June 6, 2004).
·
Zubeldia Lauzurica L and others, Presence of sulfites
in minced meat and meat products prepared in industries of the Valencia
community, Rev Espana Salud Publica 1997, 71(4),
401-7.
·
In 2003, the NSW Food Authority
found 58 per cent of samples tested found illegal sulphites in mince, http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/mr-illegal-use-of-so2-low-31-Oct-05.htm
showing that butchers will use sulphites in mince unless there is constant
monitoring.
Children’s sulphite intake
Dried fruit can contain
extremely high amounts of sulphites, at the legal limit which is very high, or
even above – see:
·
Dried Tree Fruit Annual Industry
Report, 2004, www.horticulture.com.au/docs/industry/annualreports/driedtreefruit.pdf
‘…an increased emphasis on monitoring
sulphur dioxide levels in the fruit during the drying process has controlled
residues to within acceptable levels, overcoming last season’s compliance
issues’
·
Rigg,
A. Sulphur dioxide in sausages and other products. ACT Health services. Food
survey reports, 1996-7 www.health.act.gov : ‘some of the
·
Campbell, L. Sulfur
dioxide content in dried fruits, Year 12 Chemistry Report, Balmoral State High
School, Brisbane, 2003. This report contains an analysis of three samples each
of dried apricots, peaches and pears from Turkey, repackaged and sold under an
Australian brand name. In the 1980s and 90s, Turkey started exporting cheap
dried fruits and has since become the world’s leading supplier of dried fruit.
·
Dried pears need a particularly high
level of sulphur dioxide to prevent browning and all samples of dried pears
were above the legal limit; Primary Industry Trade Report: Specific Tariffs and
other Non-Quarantine Barriers:’EU - unachievable
maximum residue levels for sulphur dioxide on dried pears (Italy is the only
producer in the world that can market a semi-dried pear that meets the residue
level)’. www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/primind/tradinq/tradrpt/chap5.doc
·
Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries
and Food. Dietary intake of food additives in the UK: initial surveillance.
Surveillance Information Sheet No 37, London: HMSO, 1993; Food Standards Agency
(UK). Survey of sulphur dioxide in soft drinks. Food Survey Information Sheet
May 2004 http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/fsis5404.pdf
and the ANZFA survey, above.
·
Joint Food Safety and Standards
Group Food surveillance information sheet: Survey of sulphur dioxide and
benzoic acid in foods and drinks, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
(MAFF UK), number 65, June 1995] http://archive.food.gov.uk/maff/archive/food/infsheet/1995/no65/65sulben.htm
·
Leclerq C
and others, Dietary intake exposure to sulphites in Italy, Food Addit Contam, 2000,
17(12):979-989.
Sulphites in potato products
·
Papazian,
R. Sulfites: Safe for Most, Dangerous for Some, 1996,
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/096_sulf.html - This article is well worth reading although
sulphites are now known to affect many more asthmatic children than thought at
that time
·
Sulphites in potato products - can
be “as high as 500 or 1000 ppm” in fries, according
to Warner CS, Diachenko GW, Bailey CJ, Sulfites: an important food safety issue. FDA Consumer
Magazine, US Food and Drug Administration, December 2000, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fssulfit.html
·
More testing is needed for sulphited hot chips in Australia as there has only been one
small survey: Australia New Zealand Food Authority, 1994 Australian Market
Basket Survey, 1996, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
·
Testing in the UK showed that both
hot chips and instant dried potato contained high levels of sulphites, Ministry
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Dietary intake of food additives in the UK:
initial surveillance. Surveillance Information Sheet No 37. London: HMSO, 1993.
Sulphites in wine
·
Sulphur dioxide in wine-making - http://www.happs.com.au/pages/PFQandA.html
Exceeding the limit
·
Wine 17 times the legal limit http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2003/nov/red_wine.
·
Many years after sulphites were
banned in mince, a survey in Scotland found not only evidence of illegal
sulphites but one sample contained nearly 6 times the previous legal limit:
Scottish Food Co-ordination Committee. A survey of the level of sulphur dioxide
preservatives in minced meat in Scotland 1988-1992. http://archive.food.gov.uk/scottish_exec/pdf/sulphdi.pdf
(accessed
·
In Spain, a similar survey found a
burger that contained 15 times the legal limit: Zubeldia
Lauzurica L and others, Presence of sulfites in minced meat and meat products prepared in
industries of the Valencia community, Rev Espana
Salud Publica 1997, 71(4), 401-7.
The rise and fall of sulphites
·
Childhood asthma rates -
International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Steering
Committee. Worldwide variations in the prevalence of asthma symptoms: the
International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Eur Respir J 1998;12(2):315-35. This study showed that
childhood asthma rates are highest in English and Spanish speaking countries,
which traditionally use sulphites in meat, except for USA which stopped using
sulphites in meat in 1959 - and has a lower asthma rate than any other
developed English speaking country despite a higher intake overall of processed
food.
The information given is not intended as
medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before beginning
dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food
intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian through the Dietitians
Association of Australia www.daa.asn.au or
write for our list of supportive dietitians (confoodnet@ozemail.com.au)
© Sue Dengate
update October 2009
