The 2026 data-driven guide to sulfites in Australian dried fruit, wine and processed foods — asthma risk, regulatory thresholds, and safe-swap shortlist

The short version

Sulfites — sulphur dioxide and the seven sulfite salts numbered E220 through E228 — are food preservatives that prevent enzymatic browning in dried fruit, stop fermentation in wine, and inhibit bacterial growth in cordials, fruit juices, processed potato, and pickled products. They're cheap, effective, and trigger asthma attacks in 3 to 10 percent of asthmatic adults at typical dietary exposure levels (Vally et al. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2009).

Standard 1.2.4 of the Food Standards Code requires Australian manufacturers to declare sulfites on the label when present at or above 10 milligrams per kilogram. This guide explains where sulfites hide in the Australian aisle, what FSANZ and the FDA say about safe exposure, and how to identify sulfite-free brands without scanning every label. For brand-by-brand sulfite checking, the Low Tox Gear Scanner flags all 8 sulfite forms — with severity escalation for asthma, MCAS, fibromyalgia, POTS, and migraine.

Why sulfites are different from most preservatives

Most food preservatives become controversial because of long-term chronic-exposure concerns — endocrine disruption, gut microbiome impacts, cumulative DNA damage. Sulfites cause acute reactions: an asthmatic eating sulfite-preserved dried apricot can experience bronchospasm within minutes. The reaction is dose-dependent and bypasses the IgE-mediated allergy pathway, which is why standard allergy tests don't detect sulfite sensitivity.

The FDA banned sulfite use on fresh fruits and vegetables sold raw in 1986 after six fatal asthma reactions linked to sulfite-preserved salad bar lettuce. Australia followed suit in Standard 1.2.4 — sulfites on raw fresh produce are prohibited. They remain permitted in dried, processed, and packaged foods at concentrations up to 3,000 mg/kg in some categories.

The eight sulfite forms — what they're called on labels

  • E220 — Sulfur dioxide (gas; used in wine and dried fruit preservation)
  • E221 — Sodium sulfite
  • E222 — Sodium hydrogen sulfite / sodium bisulfite
  • E223 — Sodium metabisulfite (most common in dried fruit)
  • E224 — Potassium metabisulfite (most common in wine)
  • E225 — Potassium sulfite
  • E226 — Calcium sulfite
  • E227 — Calcium hydrogen sulfite
  • E228 — Potassium hydrogen sulfite

All eight cross-react in sulfite-sensitive patients. If any appears in an ingredient list, the product is a potential trigger.

Categories where sulfites concentrate

From publicly disclosed ingredient lists across the Australian aisle:

  • Dried fruit (apricots, sultanas, raisins, mango, apple). The most common dietary sulfite source. Conventionally dried apricots are typically 2,500-3,000 mg/kg sulfite-treated to maintain their bright orange colour. Unsulfured organic apricots — distinguishable by their brown/dark colour — contain none.
  • Wine. Almost all commercially produced wine contains sulfites added during fermentation. Labels stating “contains sulfites” are mandatory in Australia, EU, and US. Natural or low-intervention wines may have lower levels (15-50 mg/L vs 100-200 mg/L conventional) but rarely zero.
  • Fruit juices and cordials. Particularly long-shelf-life cordials and concentrated juices.
  • Pickled vegetables and condiments. Pickled onions, gherkins, sauerkraut (unpasteurised varieties).
  • Processed potato products. Some frozen chips, instant mash, and dehydrated potato products.
  • Cured meats and sausages. Less common than nitrites but appears in some processed meat preserved products.
  • Shellfish. Sulfites are sometimes applied to prawns/shrimp to prevent black-spot discolouration.

What the asthma evidence shows

The peer-reviewed prevalence estimates for sulfite-induced asthma:

  • 3-10% of asthmatic adults show sulfite sensitivity on controlled challenge testing (Vally HK, Misso NL, Madan V. Clinical & Experimental Allergy 2009;39(11):1643-1651).
  • Steroid-dependent severe asthmatics show 8-13% sulfite sensitivity — higher than mild asthmatics.
  • Reactions occur within 15-30 minutes of exposure and range from mild bronchospasm to anaphylactoid responses requiring emergency care.
  • Children with asthma show similar prevalence rates but are diagnosed less often because dietary patterns expose them less frequently to high-sulfite foods.

Beyond asthma, sulfite sensitivity is associated with histamine-release reactions in MCAS, migraine triggering, and POTS dysautonomia flares — all of which the scanner flags as escalating conditions.

Regulatory landscape

  • Australia (FSANZ): Permitted in specific categories up to 3,000 mg/kg. Standard 1.2.4 requires declaration ≥10 mg/kg. Prohibited on fresh fruits/vegetables.
  • EU (Regulation 1169/2011): Mandatory declaration ≥10 mg/L or mg/kg. Listed as one of the 14 prescribed allergens requiring emphasis on labels.
  • USA (FDA 21 CFR 101.100): Declaration required ≥10 ppm. Banned on fresh produce.
  • JECFA (FAO/WHO): Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0-0.7 mg/kg body weight per day, expressed as sulfur dioxide.

How to identify sulfite-free products in Australia

  1. Read for any of the 8 E-numbers (E220-E228). Mandatory declaration at ≥10 mg/kg means if it's present, it's on the label.
  2. Look for the word “sulfite” or “sulphite”. Spelled either way — both forms are common.
  3. Choose “unsulfured” dried fruit. Unsulfured apricots are visibly brown/dark rather than orange. Common at health-food stores and increasingly at Coles and Woolworths in the organic aisle.
  4. For wine, look for “no added sulfites” or “low sulfite”. Natural wine producers and some certified organic wines fall here, but trace levels still occur from natural fermentation.
  5. Use the scanner for any product you're unsure about. scan.lowtoxgear.com flags all 8 sulfite forms — and crosses with your conditions to escalate severity.

How the Low Tox Gear Scanner flags sulfites

Our rule database covers all 8 sulfite forms under the sulphite concern tag. Default severity is amber. Escalates to red for users who selected: asthma, MCAS, POTS, fibromyalgia, migraine, hyperthyroid/Graves'. The matched label text is shown verbatim — so you see exactly which E-number triggered.

For curated shortlists, browse:

Best practice — what we recommend

  • If you have asthma and have ever had unexplained bronchospasm after eating dried fruit, wine, or pickled foods: eliminate sulfites for two weeks and re-introduce one category at a time. Many adult asthmatics discover sulfite sensitivity this way.
  • If you have MCAS, POTS, migraine, or fibromyalgia, sulfite avoidance is one of the higher-yield dietary changes given how concentrated exposure is (a single 30g handful of conventional dried apricot delivers 75-90 mg of sulfite — 100x the labelling threshold).
  • Wine drinkers: switching to certified organic or low-sulfite producers gets you from ~200 mg/L to ~30-50 mg/L. Not zero, but a meaningful reduction.
  • Pregnancy: not a primary sulfite-avoidance category by guideline, but the overall pattern of conservative dietary preservative reduction is consistent with current obstetric advice.

Related guides on Low Tox Gear

Sources

  1. Vally HK, Misso NL, Madan V. Clinical effects of sulphite additives. Clinical & Experimental Allergy 2009;39(11):1643-1651.
  2. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Standard 1.2.4 — Information requirements: statement of ingredients.
  3. FDA 21 CFR 101.100(a)(4). Final Rule, July 1986 — prohibition of sulfites on fresh fruits and vegetables.
  4. EFSA Panel on Food Additives. Re-evaluation of sulphur dioxide and sulphites (E220-E228) as food additives. EFSA Journal 2016;14(4):4438.
  5. JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives). Evaluation of certain food additives — sulphites. Sixty-ninth report, 2008.

Frequently asked questions

What are sulfites and why are they in food?

Sulfites are preservatives — eight related compounds numbered E220 through E228 — that prevent browning in dried fruit, stop fermentation in wine, and inhibit bacterial growth in juices, cordials, pickled products, and some processed foods. They're permitted in Australia under Standard 1.2.4 at concentrations up to 3,000 mg/kg in certain categories and must be declared on the label when present at 10 mg/kg or higher.

Are sulfites banned in Australia?

No. Australia (FSANZ) permits sulfites in dried fruit, wine, cordials, processed potato, pickled vegetables, and some other categories at varying concentration limits. They are prohibited on fresh fruits and vegetables sold raw — this matches the US FDA rule introduced in 1986 after fatal sulfite reactions on supermarket salad bars.

What's the difference between sulfites and sulfur?

Elemental sulfur is the chemical element. Sulfites are oxidised sulfur compounds — specifically sulfur dioxide (E220) and its salt forms (E221-E228). When you see 'sulfites' on a label, it refers to one of these eight preservative compounds, not free sulfur. The body metabolises sulfites to sulfate, which is harmless; the reaction issue is with the intact sulfite molecule before metabolism.

What's a safe daily intake of sulfites?

The JECFA Acceptable Daily Intake is 0-0.7 mg sulfite per kilogram of body weight per day, expressed as sulfur dioxide. For a 70 kg adult, that's about 49 mg per day. A single 30g handful of conventionally dried apricot can deliver 75-90 mg of sulfite — exceeding the ADI in one serving. For sulfite-sensitive individuals, even sub-ADI doses can trigger reactions.

How do I know if I'm sulfite sensitive?

Sulfite sensitivity bypasses the IgE-mediated allergy pathway, so standard allergy tests don't detect it. Diagnosis is clinical — through controlled food challenge testing in a specialist setting, or via two-week elimination/reintroduction. If you have asthma and notice bronchospasm within 30 minutes of eating dried fruit, drinking wine, or eating sulfite-preserved foods, sulfite sensitivity is a likely candidate.

Why do unsulfured dried apricots look brown instead of orange?

The bright orange colour of conventional dried apricots comes from sulfur dioxide treatment, which prevents the oxidation that normally darkens cut fruit during drying. Without sulfites, apricots oxidise to a dark brown or olive colour — that brown colour is the visual signal of unsulfured drying. The flavour is also more concentrated and caramelised.

Are organic dried fruits sulfite-free?

Most certified-organic dried fruit standards prohibit sulfite addition, but always check the label. The word 'sulfite' or any of E220-E228 must be declared at 10 mg/kg or higher. If you see 'unsulfured' or 'unsulphured' on the package and no sulfite listing in the ingredients, the product is sulfite-free. Some imported 'organic' products from non-EU regions occasionally contain sulfites despite the label claim.

Is wine without sulfites possible?

Truly zero-sulfite wine is rare because sulfites form naturally during yeast fermentation at trace levels (around 5-15 mg/L). Wines labelled 'no added sulfites' or 'low-sulfite' contain only naturally produced sulfites — typically 15-50 mg/L versus 100-200 mg/L in conventional wines. For severely sulfite-sensitive individuals, even naturally occurring fermentation sulfites may trigger reactions.