Food additive · Preservative (sulfite)
Sodium sulfite
- E-number
- E221
A sulfite preservative and antioxidant.
- Food additive
- Preservative
- Expert review pending
Concern level
Strong evidence of harm at high intake, emerging evidence of harm, or a common allergen or irritant. The concern level sets how many points sodium sulfite costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
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Sulfite sensitivityRegulatory
Sulfites must be declared above 10 mg/kg in the EU and UK and at 10 ppm or more in the US because some people, especially people with asthma, react to them. [1][2][3]
Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.
Rules around the world
| Where | Status | Details | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | Restricted | Permitted in listed foods; must be declared as an allergen above 10 mg/kg (as SO2). | — | [1] |
| United States | Permitted | Must be declared at 10 ppm or more (21 CFR 101.100(a)(4)). | — | [3] |
“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.
Popular products that list sodium sulfite
20 of the 17,000 most-scanned products in the US with a GoodSwap page list sodium sulfite. The 12 most scanned:
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Spicy Chili Crisp Laoganma · 7.41 oz Score 26 out of 100 Poor -
Thin Wheat Reduced Fat Crackers Savoritz · 8.5 oz Score 20 out of 100 Poor -
Graham crackers Benton's · 14.4 oz Score 16 out of 100 Bad -
Honey Graham Crackers Great Value · 14.4 oz/408 g Score 16 out of 100 Bad -
Original Clubhouse Crackers Savoritz Score 18 out of 100 Bad -
Mix snack mix Chex Mix · 8.75 oz Score 13 out of 100 Bad -
Turtles Baked Cheddar Snack Crackers Savoritz · 19 oz Score 38 out of 100 Poor -
Multi-Grain Crackers Great Value · 12.7 oz, 360 g Score 17 out of 100 Bad -
100% Lemon Juice ReaLemon · 48 fl oz Score 78 out of 100 Good -
Thin Wheat Original Crackers Savoritz · 8.5 oz Score 31 out of 100 Poor -
Graham crackers Benton's · 408 g Score 14 out of 100 Bad -
Golden Round Crackers Krantz · 13.7 oz Score 18 out of 100 Bad
Diets and allergens
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
- Allergen
- Sulphites
For the ingredient in general. Always check the package: a product’s own labels win.
Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (4)
- e221
- sodium sulfite
- sodium sulphite
- preservative sodium sulphite
Sources
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Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers
“ANNEX II SUBSTANCES OR PRODUCTS CAUSING ALLERGIES OR INTOLERANCES 1. Cereals containing gluten, namely: wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut or their hybridised strains”
eur-lex.europa.eu
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“1. Cereals containing gluten, namely: wheat (such as spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats or their hybridised strains, and products thereof”
legislation.gov.uk