Why did EFSA withdraw the safe daily limit for sulphites?

In 2016 EFSA set only a temporary group acceptable daily intake of 0.7 mg SO2 equivalents per kg of body weight per day, because the toxicity data were incomplete. When EFSA followed up in 2022 the missing studies had not been supplied, so the Panel judged the database inadequate to derive an ADI and withdrew the temporary group ADI. It switched to a margin-of-exposure approach and concluded that estimated exposures raised a safety concern. Withdrawing an ADI is not a ban — sulphites remain permitted in the EU within maximum levels.

Why are sulphites listed as an allergen?

Because a minority of people react to them. In people with asthma, sulphites can cause wheezing, coughing or chest tightness, and more rarely serious reactions. So that sensitive people can avoid them, the EU, UK, US, Canada and India all require sulphites to be declared on the label when they reach 10 mg/kg (10 ppm) or more. Sulphites are the only item on the UK and EU allergen list that carries a numeric threshold like this.

Which foods contain sulphites?

Dried fruit such as apricots, raisins, figs and mango; wine, beer and cider; fruit juices, squashes and cordials; jams, fruit pulp and glacé cherries; dehydrated vegetables and instant mashed potato; pickles, vinegars and some sauces; sugar and jaggery syrups; and packet coconut and desiccated fruit. In India they are especially common in dried fruit, fruit pulp, sugar and squash concentrates.

How do I spot sulphites on a label?

Look for sulphur dioxide, sulphites, sulfites, metabisulphite, bisulphite, or the numbers E220 to E228 and INS 220 to INS 228. In India they usually appear as a class name plus number, for example 'Preservative (INS 223)'. LabelCop reads the printed label and flags them automatically, no barcode needed.

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Are sulphites (E220–E228) safe?

Q: Are sulphites banned anywhere?

Not as a group. Sulphites (E220–E228, INS 220–228) are permitted as preservatives in the EU, UK, US and India within maximum levels set by food category. The one specific prohibition is narrow: since 1986 the US FDA has prohibited sulphites on fruit and vegetables intended to be served or sold raw, and 21 CFR 182.3862 also excludes their use in meats and in foods recognised as a source of vitamin B1.

By LabelCop · Last updated 6 August 2026 · Sources: EFSA, FDA, FSSAI, UK FSA, WHO/JECFA

The short answer: permitted everywhere within limits — but the EU's own scientists gave up on setting a safe daily limit.

EFSA (2022): withdrew the temporary group daily limit — the toxicity data were judged inadequate
WHO/JECFA: retains a daily limit of 0.7 mg SO₂ equivalents per kg body weight
US FDA: permitted with limits — but prohibited on fruit and veg sold or served raw since 1986
Everyone: must be declared on the label at 10 mg/kg or more, because sulphites are an allergen
LabelCop: flags sulphites as high-risk on every label

What are sulphites?

A family of sulphur-based preservatives, not one chemical
Two jobs in food: stopping spoilage and stopping browning — they keep dried apricots orange and fruit pulp bright
The group: E220 sulphur dioxide, E221 sodium sulphite, E222 sodium bisulphite, E223 sodium metabisulphite, E224 potassium metabisulphite, E226 calcium sulphite, E227 calcium bisulphite, E228 potassium bisulphite
Label names: sulphur dioxide, sulphites, sulfites, metabisulphite, bisulphite, E220–E228, INS 220–228
In India they are Class II preservatives — the manufactured chemical group, capped by food category

Which foods contain them?

Dried fruit — apricots, raisins, figs, mango, dates
Wine, beer and cider
Fruit juices, squashes, cordials and fruit pulp
Jams, glacé cherries and candied peel
Dehydrated vegetables and instant mashed potato
Pickles, vinegars and some sauces
Sugar, syrups and desiccated coconut

In India: most common in dried fruit, fruit pulp, sugar and squash concentrates — look for INS 220–228 in the ingredients list

What the regulators actually say

Regulator	Status	Reasoning
EFSA / European Union	Permitted within limits — daily limit withdrawn 2022	EFSA's 2016 re-evaluation set only a temporary group ADI of 0.7 mg SO₂ equivalents/kg body weight/day because the data were incomplete. In the 2022 follow-up, no new toxicity studies had been supplied, so the Panel judged the database inadequate to derive an ADI and withdrew the temporary group ADI. Using a margin-of-exposure approach instead, it concluded that the estimated dietary exposures raise a safety concern. Sulphites remain authorised in the EU within maximum permitted levels; the European Commission asked EFSA to model lower alternative levels, and EFSA published that updated exposure assessment in 2025.
FDA (United States)	Prohibited on raw fruit & veg since 1986 — otherwise permitted	Sulphur dioxide and sulphite salts are listed as GRAS with limitations. 21 CFR 182.3862 states they are not to be used in meats, in food recognised as a source of vitamin B₁, or on fruit and vegetables intended to be served or sold raw or presented as fresh — a prohibition introduced in 1986 after reports of sulphite-linked asthma reactions to salad-bar produce. Declaration is required at 10 ppm or above.
FSSAI (India)	Permitted within limits, by food category	Sulphur dioxide and sulphites are Class II preservatives, permitted in specified food categories at specified maximum levels — up to 2,000 ppm in some dried fruit and vegetable products, and normally only one Class II preservative per product. Under the Labelling & Display Regulations 2020 they must be declared by name when present at 10 mg/kg or more.
UK / Food Standards Agency	Permitted — mandatory allergen declaration	Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre are one of the 14 allergens that must be declared under retained Regulation (EU) 1169/2011. They are the only entry on that list with a numeric threshold below which emphasis is not required.
WHO / JECFA	Group ADI 0–0.7 mg/kg bw retained	The joint FAO/WHO expert committee allocated a group acceptable daily intake of 0–0.7 mg/kg body weight per day expressed as sulphur dioxide, based on long-term rat studies, and retained it at its thirtieth meeting. JECFA has not withdrawn this figure.
Canada	Permitted — declaration required at 10 ppm	Health Canada lists sulphites as a priority allergen and requires added sulphites to be declared when present at 10 ppm or more, with the word "sulphite" or "sulfite" appearing at least once on the label.

Why do regulators disagree?

The split is about missing data, not new alarm. EFSA asked industry for the toxicity studies its 2016 opinion said were missing; they were not supplied
EFSA's response: if you cannot characterise the hazard, you cannot set a safe daily limit — so it withdrew the temporary one
JECFA's position: the older rat studies were enough to support 0–0.7 mg/kg bw, and it has kept that figure
Same compounds, two philosophies: EFSA re-reviews on a fixed programme against modern data standards; JECFA revisits when asked
A withdrawn ADI is not a ban. Sulphites stay legal in the EU — what changed is that there is no longer an official number to compare your intake against
The FDA's 1986 action is narrow. It targets raw produce, meats and vitamin B₁ sources — not dried fruit, wine or juice

The bit that affects real people: asthma

In people with asthma, sulphites can cause wheezing, coughing or chest tightness, and more rarely serious reactions
Published clinical studies put sulphite sensitivity at roughly 3–10% of people with asthma, highest among steroid-dependent asthmatics; the FDA's public estimate is about 1 in 100 people overall
This is why the 10 mg/kg declaration rule exists in the EU, UK, US, Canada and India — so sensitive people can avoid them
Sulphites also destroy thiamine (vitamin B₁), which is why several regulators bar them from foods relied on as a B₁ source
No fear-mongering here: most people eat sulphites with no effect at all. The point is that a specific group needs to see them on the label

How LabelCop scores it

Sulphites (E220–E228 / INS 220–228) are a high-risk flag in LabelCop
Reason: an allergen with a mandatory declaration threshold in five major jurisdictions, and no current EU safe daily limit
Rule: strictest regulator wins — we flag them wherever they appear, including where they are fully legal
You see the flag, the reason and the source. No black box

Frequently asked questions

Are sulphites banned anywhere?

Not as a group. They are permitted in the EU, UK, US and India within maximum levels. The one specific prohibition is the FDA's: since 1986, sulphites may not be used on fruit and vegetables served or sold raw, and 21 CFR 182.3862 also excludes meats and foods recognised as a source of vitamin B₁.

Why did EFSA withdraw the safe daily limit?

The 2016 ADI was only temporary, pending toxicity studies that were never supplied. In 2022 EFSA judged the database inadequate to derive an ADI, withdrew the temporary group ADI and switched to a margin-of-exposure approach, concluding that estimated exposures raise a safety concern. Sulphites remain permitted in the EU within maximum levels.

Do sulphites in wine cause headaches?

The evidence does not support it. Sulphite reactions are respiratory — wheezing, coughing, chest tightness in sensitive asthmatics — not headaches. Wine also contains many other compounds, and dried apricots typically carry far more sulphite per gram than wine does.

Does "unsulphured" or "no added sulphites" mean sulphite-free?

Not necessarily. Small amounts occur naturally in fermented foods. Labelling rules in the EU, UK, US, Canada and India kick in at 10 mg/kg, so levels below that need not be declared.

How do I spot them on a label?

Look for sulphur dioxide, sulphites, sulfites, metabisulphite, bisulphite, or E220–E228 and INS 220–228. In India they appear as a class name plus number, such as "Preservative (INS 223)". Or scan the label with LabelCop and they are flagged automatically, with the regulator reasoning shown.

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Sources

EFSA (2022): follow-up of the re-evaluation of sulphur dioxide (E220) and sulphites (E221–E228) · EFSA (2016): re-evaluation of E220–E228 — temporary group ADI · EFSA (2025): updated dietary exposure with alternative maximum levels · eCFR: 21 CFR 182.3862 — sulphur dioxide · FDA: sulphites in food · FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards regulations — permitted additives & Class II preservatives · UK FSA: allergen labelling technical guidance · WHO/JECFA: sulphur dioxide and sulphites — group ADI · Health Canada: sulphites — priority allergens · Bush et al. (1986), Am J Med: prevalence of sulphite sensitivity in asthmatic patients

Related ingredients: Class II preservatives (India) · Sodium benzoate (E211) · Sodium nitrite (E250)

This article explains regulatory status and published scientific assessments in plain English. It is not medical advice.