10 Things you should never feed your kids - number 7

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The culprit -Sulphites

The problems - Sulphites have been used as  preservatives and flavor enhancers in food and wine since Roman times. They are also found naturally in wine and many foods and have very little effect on a majority of the population. Only about 2% of the population has a sulphite sensitivity which may result in skin rashes, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and other reactions. It is a much bigger problem with asthma sufferers, a large percentage of who have a sensitivity to sulphites. The FDA banned sulphites on fresh fruit and vegetables in 1986 due to over a dozen deaths of asthmatics who suffered severe allergic reactions to the sulphites sprayed on produce in supermarkets and restaurant salad bars. The sulphites were used to prevent discoloration and wilting however the FDA were unable to prevent their use on potato products which continues today. Sulphites are also known to destroy folic acid and thiamine  ( vitamin B1) and have been banned in meat in the USA since the late 1950’s. The problem once again is that the FDA only requires labelling over a certain amount ( 10 ppm) which means you can still be consuming these additives without your knowledge. This is a big problem for asthma sufferers with a known reaction to sulphites,

The solution - Look at food labels for anything that contains sulphur dioxide, sodium sulphite, sodium/potassium bisulphite, sodium/potassium metabisulphite. Some wines are labelled as sulphite free but may still contain small amounts.


The use of sulphites continues to increase as processed food becomes more and more popular. Here is a list of some of the foods in question  

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]