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Sulfite preservatives in food and wine can cause serious health problems
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists have proven that about 10% of people suffer from hypersensitivity to sulfites. Sulfites are found in many processed foods, pizza, wine, and beer. They are used as preservatives. Scientists have proven that about 10% of people suffer from hypersensitivity to sulfites. This is usually expressed as a minor irritation, but for asthmatics this effect can lead to very serious consequences.
Sulfites are a group of chemicals added to food, beer, and wine to prevent bacterial growth. The word “sulfites” stands for sulfur dioxide and sulfurous acid salts, such as sodium sulfate and potassium metabisulfite. In wine production, sulfites are used to quickly stop fermentation, which prevents white wines from darkening. In addition, dried fruits, pizza, chips, jam, seafood, and processed meat contain a lot of sulfites. In one in ten people, sulfites can cause itching, rashes, difficulty breathing, hives, asthma attacks, and even anaphylactic shock.
The best way to test for sulfite sensitivity is a challenge test, where the patient is treated with a sulfite solution or fumigated with sulfur dioxide in a hospital. The patient's condition must be monitored by a doctor, since a reaction to the treatment may require urgent medical intervention, including resuscitation. Another way to test is to simply eat dried apricots. They contain a large amount of sulfur dioxide. Any signs of an allergic reaction indicate a high probability of sulfite intolerance. However, if you are highly sensitive to sulfites, such products should be strictly avoided. General anesthesia and adrenaline injections should not be used on people with increased sensitivity to sulfites, as sulfites are used as preservatives in them.
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