Short Review of Sulphites as Food Additives

Abstract

Sulphites or sulphiting agents refer to sodium hydrogen sulphite, sodium metabisulphite, potassium metabisulphite, calcium sulphite, calcium hydrogen sulphite, and potassium hydrogen sulphite. As food additives, they are widely used by the food industry with a variety of commercial uses in food and beverages. Sulphites are effective bleaching agents, antimicrobials, oxygen scavengers, reducing agents, and enzyme inhibitors. Wine, beer, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, jam, juice, sugar, processed potatoes, seafood, meat and baked products are some of the food categories in which sulphites are added. Sulphites have been implicated in various health related issues. Asthmatic reactions and some antinutritional consequences such the degradation of thiamine (vitamin B 1 ) are adverse reactions associated with sulphites. In many countries, sulphites have been regulated. Sulphites are generally recognized as safe in the USA with some exceptions when using in raw fruits and vegetables. In the European Union sulphites are also controlled, and the permitted amount varies according to the food product.

Plant nutraceuticals as antimicrobial agents in food preservation: terpenoids, polyphenols and thiols

“…For example, sulfites cause degradation of vitamin B1 (thiamine) in food, an essential nutrient [6].…”

Integrated all-solid-state sulfite sensors modified with two different ion-to-electron transducers: rapid assessment of sulfite in beverages

“…For centuries, sulte has been extensively used as a preservative agent in the food industry, and beverages, in addition to some pharmaceutical products. 1,2 The role of sulte is to prevent oxidation, browning occurring via enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions, and bacterial growth in such products. 3 Sulte has a negative effect on human health, especially for people suffering from sulte oxidase deciency disease.…”

Sulfites in meat: Occurrence, activity, toxicity, regulation, and detection. A comprehensive review

“…Finally, some authors suggested that also glyosidic linkages of uridine and cytidine might be cleaved by sulfites (Figure 3‐7; Garcia Fuentes, Wirtz, Vos, & Verhagen, 2015). On the contrary, sulfites seem to not affect biogenic amines formation and accumulation.…”