Overview
About Sulfites
Sulfite sensitivity tracks preservatives common in dried fruit, wine, bottled juices, and processed meats that can trigger symptoms in sensitive individuals.
Sulfites are preservatives found in wine, dried fruits, and processed foods. They can trigger asthma symptoms, headaches, and allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
In the data
Where you will find sulfites
- High in sulfites, added as a preservative, which can trigger wheeze or headache separately from the histamine
- High in sulfites, added and formed during production, which can stack with the histamine
- Preserved with sulfites, which can add wheeze or a headache on top of the histamine load
- Very high in sulfites in most commercial raisins (especially golden ones), a frequent cause of wheeze or headache from dried fruit
Examples
A few ingredients either way
Rated high
Grading
How we grade sulfites
Every ingredient in the database carries one grade for sulfites, and this page, the checker and the app all read that same grade. It describes the ingredient as it is usually eaten. Portion size and preparation move it.
Practical
Working with sulfites
- Choose fresh or frozen fruits over dried.
- Look for "no sulfites added" on wine labels.
- Dried fruits are often high in sulfites unless labeled 'unsulfured'
- Wine, especially white, commonly contains sulfites
- Fresh foods are naturally sulfite-free
- Check medication labels - some contain sulfites
- Look for 'contains sulfites' on labels (required above 10ppm)
Method
Test it with a diary
Most people find their own triggers by logging meals and symptoms for a few weeks and reading the result back. Three steps.
- 1Log every meal for a few weeks. Type it, say it out loud, or scan a barcode, and it lands as a list of ingredients.
- 2Rate how you feel through the day on whatever you are tracking, whether that is bloating, headaches, skin or sleep.
- 3Read the pattern back. Every ingredient you logged is scored against the days you felt worse, and the result ranks sulfites against everything else you eat.
Questions
Questions people ask
Is rose wine high in sulfites?
Yes. Like most wine it is preserved with sulfites and it rates high. The contains sulfites label applies, and low-sulfite or organic bottles reduce but rarely remove them, so sulfite-sensitive drinkers can still react.
More about rose wineDo prunes contain sulfites?
Prunes rate high for sulfites in the trigger data. Sulfur-based preservatives are common across dried fruit, and dried fruit is one of the largest dietary sulfite sources, so prunes can be a problem if you are sulfite sensitive or have sulfite-triggered asthma.
More about pruneIs it the sulfites in wine that cause the reaction?
Sulfites get the blame, but for most people the bigger driver is histamine, which red wine contains in much higher amounts than white. Sulfites can still trigger wheeze in sulfite-sensitive people. If you react to red but tolerate a low-histamine clear spirit, histamine is the more likely culprit.
More about red wineDo raisins contain sulfites?
Most commercial raisins, and golden raisins in particular, are treated with sulfites to preserve their colour, which makes them a common dried-fruit trigger for sulfite-sensitive people. Look for unsulfured raisins if sulfites are your issue.
More about raisinsDoes shrimp contain sulfites?
Often, yes. Shrimp and other shellfish are frequently dipped in sulfites such as sodium metabisulfite to prevent melanosis, the harmless black spotting that forms as they age. The residue stays on the shrimp and can trigger wheezing, hives or flushing in people who are sulfite-sensitive, which is why menus and packages are supposed to flag it.
More about shrimp
Read next
Where to go next
References
Sulfites sources
Where the sulfites grades come from: food composition databases, clinical guidelines and patient organisations.
4 sources from peer-reviewed research, regulatory bodies, and clinical guidelines.
Get started
Tracking sulfites?
Log what you eat and how you feel, and the app finds the pattern for you. Or look an ingredient up here first.
Get the app