Beer, wine, and soft drinks
Cookies, crackers, pie crust, and pizza crust
Dried fruit
Shrimp, lobster, and scallops
French fries and other food made with peeled potatoes, such as instant mashed potatoes
Fruit or vegetable juice
Canned fruits or vegetables
Syrup and fruit toppings
Pickles, relish, olives, and salad dressing
Noodle or rice mixes
Dried soup mixes
Deli meats, mincemeat, sausages

Many prescription and over the counter medicines also contain sulfites. Sulfites are also contained in products applied to the skin, such as cosmetics.

Causes

The cause of this problem is not known. Genetics and the environment may play a role.

Risk Factors

The risk factors for this health problem are not known. However, most people with sulfite sensitivity have asthma.

Symptoms

Most symptoms are mild and vary from person to person. Problems may be:

Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Coughing
Belly pain
Diarrhea
Nausea
Skin rash
Skin inflammation

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. You may need to see a doctor who treats allergies.

Blood tests will be done to look for antibodies to sulfites. An allergy skin test may also be done to look for a cause.

You may be asked to avoid certain foods or beverages for a short period of time to see if symptoms go away. This is called an elimination diet. It can help find out what is causing your symptoms.

Treatment

There is no cure. The goal of treatment is to manage symptoms. This can only be done by avoiding foods and drinks that contain sulfites. A dietitian can help. This will mean reading food and drug labels carefully. Special care will also need to be taken when eating out.

Medicines may be advised to ease symptoms. Choices are:

Antihistamines
Corticosteroids
An inhaler that contains medicine to open the airways

Some people may need to carry an epinephrine pen. It can be used to inject medicine to treat a severe reaction.

Prevention

There are no known guidelines to prevent this health problem.

RESOURCES:

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
http://www.aaaai.org

FARE—Food Allergy Research & Education
https://www.foodallergy.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Allergy Asthma Information Association
http://aaia.ca

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

References:

Allergic and asthmatic reactions to food additives. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/allergic-and-asthmatic-reactions-to-food-additives. Accessed March 25, 2021.

Allergy testing. American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed March 25, 2021.

Bahna SL, Burkhardt JG. The dilemma of allergy to food additives. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2018 Jan 1;39(1):3-8.

Food allergy. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website. Available at: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/food-allergy. Accessed March 25, 2021.

Sulfite sensitivity. Cleveland Clinic website. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11323-sulfite-sensitivity. Accessed March 25, 2021.

Sulfites: FDA guide to foods and drugs with sulfites. The Extension Toxicology Network website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed March 25, 2021.

Sulfites: separating fact from fiction. University of Florida website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed March 25, 2021.

Last reviewed December 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Daniel A. Ostrovsky, MD
Last Updated: 3/25/2021

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