Is Sodium Sulfite banned?
Sodium Sulfite is permitted by the US FDA. Several countries restrict, warning-label, or have reviewed it for safety concerns. The US has more lenient additive rules than the EU, UK, Canada, and Japan, which is why this ingredient remains widely used here.
Why Sodium Sulfite is flagged
Sulfites are among the more significant food allergy/intolerance triggers. An estimated 1 in 100 people, and up to 5% of asthmatics, are sulfite-sensitive. Reactions can include urticaria, angioedema, bronchospasm, and in severe cases anaphylaxis. Sulfite-induced asthma can be severe; several deaths attributable to sulfite-triggered anaphylaxis have been documented. The FDA banned sulfites from fresh produce and restaurant salad bars in 1986 after several deaths and severe reactions were linked to sulfite-treated salads. FDA mandates that sulfite content above 10 ppm be declared on US food labels. All forms of sulfites (E220-E228) share these sensitization concerns.
Scan your pantry for Sodium Sulfite
Get a free Safe / Caution / Avoid score on any US food or beauty barcode \u2014 with EFSA + FDA citations.
Scan a product \u2192See the full Sodium Sulfite deep-dive page for regulatory citations, products that contain it, and verified clean swaps.