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Living Sulfite-Free - Is It Possible?

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What's Happening to Me?

That's the question more and more people are asking these days. That's the question my husband, Gerald, asked about a year ago. Strange things started happening to him that had never happened before. Maybe they're happening to you, too.

They tell us that only 1 percent of people in the U.S. have this problem, but I wonder . . . and even if that's true - that's a sizable number of people!

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site contains our personal experiences with sulfite sensitivity. It should not be viewed as an authoritative source of information on the subject. Although we continue to work hard to make sure our statements are accurate, we are by no means experts. Please do your own research to make sure you are as safe as possible.
(Photo courtesy of CarbonNYC thru http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)

It was a simple glass of red wine . . .

Photo courtesy delphaber thru http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.enWe were out with friends, enjoying a theater experience - Charlie Chaplin silent films accompanied by a talented musician who sat playing a gigantic organ. We sat in a huge banquet room. The food was delicious, our glasses of wine full-bodied and mellow. Gerald took a sip along with his meal. Strange . . . my lips are tingling, he thought. My face is feeling flushed. My tongue's a little numb.

He waited, and gradually those feelings subsided. Another sip, and the symptoms returned. This is strange. I've never felt this before. Could those sulfites they always warn about on wine bottles be affecting me like this?

Have you ever had a sulfite reaction?

Tell us what happened.

  • aiden fogarty May 17, 2012 @ 4:58 pm | delete
    hi....i have a problem im almost sure its sulfite related....when i drink a few glasses of red wine the next day i get a cramp in my second toe...it sounds silly but its like a vice tightening on it for a couple of hours....anyone have the same id like to no....how do you find out if you have a reaction to sulfites
  • Joie Jun 4, 2012 @ 10:24 am | delete
    I'm sorry it took so long for me to reply. This was new to me. In researching it, however, I learned a lot about toe and foot cramps - and that the reasons for it are many. One reason is dehydration, and alcohol consumption contributes to that. Other reasons include deficiencies in important minerals and vitamins. (See http://www.livestrong.com/article/484304-what-deficiencies-cause-severe-toe-cramps/) So far, I haven't found a connection between toe cramps and sulfites. It's important for you to see a doctor to diagnose the reason for YOUR toe cramps.

    It's not always easy to find out if you have a reaction to sulfites. Here is a link to a list of possible symptoms that may help you: http://www.freemd.com/sulfite-sensitivity/symptoms.htm I hope this helps you, and I wish you all the best! :)
  • Apryl May 13, 2012 @ 7:22 pm | delete
    Yes it has. I can't drink wines unless they are sulfite free. I came across this site seeking new sulfite free products and read your entry and felt compelled to post. I avoid sulfites. Frey wines are sulfite fre and taste good and I'm hard to please when it comes to wines. I don't work for them, I just discovered them and thought I'd share. I hate it when doctors tell you it can't happen. Are you kidding me? Things happen everyday that aren't expected and they all want to think of themselves as an authority. Trust your yourself. thanks for the post
  • Joie May 14, 2012 @ 12:43 am | delete
    Thank you for sharing, Apryl. :) You're right. Many sulfite-sensitive people are able to drink wines, like Frey, that are labeled "no sulfites detected" or "no detectable sulfites." Others, like my husband, are more sensitive and are affected by the naturally occurring sulfites even in fresh grapes.

    I very much appreciate your comment.
  • donna May 11, 2012 @ 4:17 pm | delete
    I think it is red wine too. My tongue has been black and feeling weird for over a month. I have been taking anti fungal script and there is an improvement but if/when I have any red wind the next morning it is back.
  • Joie May 11, 2012 @ 5:56 pm | delete
    Donna, I'm not a doctor, so I can't begin to tell you if your condition is affected by wine. But I found the following Wikipedia article very interesting. Take a look: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bismuth_subsalicylate
    Wishing you all the best!
  • scorpioesq1960 Apr 23, 2012 @ 11:59 am | delete
    I was at a party, sipping on red wine. I started feeling weird, like I was having an adverse drug reaction. My eye became grossly swollen. When I told the ER doctor I thought the wine had caused it, he disagreed, and said wine wouldn't cause such a reaction!!! Oh really?? The next time it happened, I literally took a sip of wine, said to my husband "it's happening again", and my eye swelled up Quasimodo style within minutes. Lovely! I haven't had that reaction since, but I am convinced that my respiratory problems and tentative diagnosis of esosinophilic pneumonia are caused by food preservatives.
  • Joie May 1, 2012 @ 6:35 pm | delete
    I believe you're right. I'm not a medical expert, but I know that a lot more of our problems are caused by food preservatives than we are probably aware of. And you know? Through the years, Gerald has occasionally had weird facial swellings, too. I never thought to associate those with his current condition! Thank you for getting my mental wheels turning! I hope your life improves as you learn what is causing your problems. Take care.
  • Dandoosha Apr 16, 2012 @ 5:44 pm | delete
    Glad I found this site. I have recently developed this problem. I noticed years ago that I would occasionally get reactions when eating farm raised Salmon but within the last 2 months I cannot even drink a 1/4 glass of wine without being knocked off my feet. I immediately become loopy and lethargic and get a severe headache (think of the worst hangover you have ever had), I've also started developing gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and bloating.

    Last week I wanted to play it safe so I had a Mike's Hard Lemonade cooler to drink at a party and within minutes I got the same bad reaction. My husband looked at the label and guess what it said: "CONTAINS SULFITE"...

    So in my eyes, that's a strong confirmation of the problem. I have an appointment with an allergist for thursday afternnon.
  • Joie May 1, 2012 @ 6:28 pm | delete
    Wow. I'm glad you're confirming your problem - too bad you had to suffer to find out what it was. :( You have all my sympathy. I wish the best for you. Please let us know how you're doing.
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Maybe it's not just the wine . . .

Photo courtesy of Burger Baroness thru http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)deed.en)We're not big wine drinkers, so it was a few months before Gerald drank wine again. We each had a glass of wine with dinner, and the same things happened to him, only worse. His lips felt swollen and numb, his face more flushed. He started to wheeze.

Strangely, he said that the symptoms had started to a degree even before he drank the wine. What had you eaten before? I asked him. He had been at my brother's house, where he had been given some tuna and some flour tortillas. It sounded safe enough. Confusing.

As usual, I jumped on the internet to learn what I could about sulfites. I learned that many flour tortillas have something in them called sodium metabisulfite. Wow. This definitely sounded like a problem. It wasn't just a problem that could be solved by avoiding wine. He had to avoid those tortillas, too.

"But I LOVE tortillas!" Take heart, tortilla lovers!

I couldn't wait to tell you about these SAFE, delicious tortillas!

Uncooked Flour Tortillas by Tortillaland - 8 inch - 44 Count in Pack

Uncooked Flour Tortillas by Tortillaland - 8 inch - 44 Count in Pack

Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

I can't tell you how discouraged we were when we couldn't find a flour tortilla without sulfites. I even tried making them myself - what a disaster! One day I was bemoaning my plight to a friend of mine who happens to be a chef. He asked me if we had tried the UNCOOKED tortillas sold in the refrigerated section of our local Costco. These tortillas don't have to sit on a shelf for who knows how long, being preserved by things like sodium metabisulfite.

Let me tell you, the next time I went to Costco, I headed straight for these tortillas and analyzed the ingredient list - SAFE! I could hardly wait to try them.

This is how I cook them: Heat a frying pan (no oil needed), place a tortilla in for about 30 seconds, turn over, and give it another few seconds. You'll see the tortilla start to bubble up, and when you turn it over, you can see those nice little brown circles of doneness. How easy is that? But then the taste test: Oooohhh! . . . tortilla heaven. Like your own abuelita would have made.

If Gerald hadn't become sulfite-sensitive, I doubt if I ever would have tried these. Now I can't imagine buying anything else.

P.S. I am so glad Amazon carries these tortillas! Lots of people don't live near a Costco, and in some parts of the U.S., Costco doesn't even carry them. Now they're available to all of us! Hurray!

We had to become detectives . . .

Photo courtesy of somegeekintn thru http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.enGerald's allergist gave him a comprehensive skin test to determine what he was allergic to. Test results? He wasn't allergic to ANYTHING. The doctor explained that there is no such thing as a sulfite allergy - only a sulfite sensitivity. Nor is there a specific test for sulfite sensitivity. It was something the patient had to figure out for himself, mostly by tracking one's reactions to foods.

The doctor gave us a list of foods that could cause Gerald problems. That and my internet search revealed many things that were eye-opening. I learned that there was a vast array of food that "everybody" eats without adverse reactions - but that Gerald dare not touch.

Here's what we learned . . .

We came up with a fairly comprehensive list of foods that MAY contain sulfites. Not all manufacturers use sulfites in these products. Remember to check each label.
  • 1Baked Goods: Bread; cookies; crackers; mixes containing dried fruits or vegetables; pie crust; pizza crust; quiche crust; flour tortillas
  • 2Beverages: Wine; wine coolers; beer; cocktail mixes; dried citrus fruit beverage mixes; instant tea; liquid tea concentrates
  • 3Condiments and Relishes: Horseradish; relishes; pickles; olives; salad dressings; salad dressing mixes; wine vinegar
  • 4Dairy (and Non-Dairy) Products: Filled milk (specially prepared skim milk with added vegetable oils to increase its fat content); non-dairy coffee creamers; sour cream; yogurt
  • 5Fresh Fruit and Vegetables: Sulfite use banned in the U.S. (except for prepared raw potatoes - for example, uncooked frozen french fries or hash browns)
  • 6Gelatins: Puddings and Fillings: Fruit fillings; gelatin; pectin jelling agents
  • 7Grain Products and Pastas: Cornstarch; modified food starch; spinach pasta; gravies; hominy; breadings; batters; noodle mixes; rice mixes
  • 8Jams and Jellies: Jams and jellies
  • 9Nuts and Nut Products: Shredded coconut
  • 10Processed Fruits: Canned, bottled or frozen fruit juices; dried fruit; canned, bottled or frozen dietetic fruit or fruit juices; maraschino cherries; glazed fruit
  • 11Processed Vegetables: Vegetable juice; canned vegetables (including potatoes); pickled vegetables (including sauerkraut); dried vegetables; instant mashed potatoes; frozen potatoes; potato salad, onion powder, garlic powder
  • 12Seafood: Canned clams; fresh, frozen, canned or dried shrimp; frozen lobster; scallops; dried cod.
  • 13Snack Foods: Dried fruit snacks; trail mixes; filled crackers
  • 14Soups: Canned soups; dried soup mixes
  • 15Sweet Toppings: Corn syrup; high fructose corn syrup; maple syrup; pancake syrup; fruit toppings
  • 16Meats: Bacon, ham, sausage, hot dogs

Which of these contain sulfites?

You guessed it . . . all of them.

(Photos courtesy each contributor thru http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)
(View contributors by pausing mouse over each picture.)

Hot Dogs on a Bun by TheBusyBrain
Take-Out @ Singas Famous Pizza by wEnDaLicious
This is a test by CoreForce
IMG_7098 by eyeliam
Toasting Marshmallows by psd
French Fries by c3lsius_bb
Fire Cubes by Furryscaly
"Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis" - Project 366 2008 - August 6, 2008 ~ by turtlemom4bacon
Sweet Pickles and Olvies at Apple Pan by Marshall Astor - Food Fetishist
maply goodness by surekat
IMG_0462 by catlovers
curated content from Flickr

Oh, no! What next?

Photo courtesy of fred ross lord thru http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)Grocery shopping became an intensive research project, every single time. I got so that I didn't want to go grocery shopping, because it was such a lot of work, reading every single label on every single product. But if it kept my husband safe, it was worth it. So I pressed on.

One night shortly after dinner, Gerald's throat started to close and he started wheezing loudly. We panicked, terrified. We called our medical help line and talked to a nurse. She said we should see a doctor as soon as possible, but in the meantime, I needed to buy some Benadryl quickly. I raced to the store and back, and Gerald took the Benadryl. Shortly thereafter, he breathed easier and got very sleepy (a side effect of Benadryl).

Why? I asked myself again and again. I had been so careful. Dinner had been simple - no chance of sulfites that I was aware of... plain vegetables, macaroni and cheese - made only with macaroni and shredded cheese. Simple. Suddenly I thought about that cheese. I raced to the garbage can, where I had tossed the empty bag of store brand shredded cheese. Ingredients: shredded cheddar cheese, modified food starch to prevent caking. What???

Modified food starch - it doesn't specify which food starch is used, but a lot of the time it's cornstarch.

The Corn Connection

Photo courtesy of Darwin Bell thru http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

I wanted to use a BIG picture, because the corn connection to sulfite sensitivity is HUGE.

We love corn, and neither of us has any problem eating it. But when we researched how corn is treated to produce other products, were were amazed.

One of the most enlightening sources of information was from the International Starch Institute, on how corn starch is made. After the corn is cleaned, it is steeped in hot water to release the starch. The Institute explains: "The steeping is actually a controlled fermentation. Sulphur dioxide improves the fermentation by enhancing growth of favourable micro-organisms . . . The sulphur dioxide may be prepared by burning sulphur and absorbing the gas in water. Because modern processes call for more strict and narrow dosage, a supply of sulphur dioxide gas under pressure is preferred or SO2 is replaced by sodium hydrogen bisulphite where no local gas supply is available." (Bold print is mine.)

Sulphur gases are used in the production of corn starch! In the same process, part of the continuing process extracts corn oil from the corn germ. Residual extracted corn germ meal is used for animal feeds. Corn starch itself is converted into corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.

Sooooo . . . try buying food that has no corn starch, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or modified food starch! It's pretty challenging! But necessary, since Gerald seemed to be reacting to all of these.

Sulfite sensitivity can cause many different reactions and in varying degrees. Since the sulfites were giving Gerald serious asthmatic reactions, his doctor provided him with an albuterol inhaler and an Epi-Pen - one for him and one for me, in case Gerald couldn't give himself a shot because of passing out or something. He also recommended that Gerald get a Medical Alert bracelet stating that he was sensitive to sulfites. Scary stuff. (Interesting side note: The Epi-Pen medicine contains . . . are you ready? Sulfites! But apparently the benefits outweigh the risks, especially if it will open a throat that is so swollen you can't breathe! The instructions are for him to use the Epi-Pen and then go immediately to a hospital emergency room. Did I say scary stuff?)

Gerald is by no means an isolated case. Click on this link to find out what happened to 37-year-old Karen just from eating french fries..

What's Your Opinion About Sulfite Labeling?

Do you think all food should be required to clearly label added sulfites?

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Yes - it would simplify my life.

Barry Pratt says:

Yes

Penny says:

most definately

Pamela says:

Sulfites are not any more dangerous to the general population than eggs or peanuts ..... But if you are allergic to any of the three, it is a matter of life and breath!!! Yes, I want the foods labeled!! And it's important that companies ask their suppliers about sulfites in the foods that go into a final product.

Joie says:

You're right. Some foods are high in sulfites, some have moderate amounts, some have a low amounts. They all add up.
To make it more confusing: some people can tolerate a lot of sulfites, some can only tolerate a moderate amount, and some are extremely sensitive and can hardly tolerate any.
Not only labeling a product "Contains sulfites," but telling us HOW HIGH in sulfites something is would be extremely helpful.

KathyT says:

Considering how many other labels are on things now, adding "contains sulfites" shouldn't be that big of a deal... should it? I think it's important - as with many other things in our lives these days, it may be possible that we humans have become more sensitive to it due to it possibly being in more foods than ever before.

No - not enough people are bothered by sulfites for it to matter.

Joie says:

mihgasper: I didn't think I had much use for labels, either, until it became a matter of life and death. Now I read them religiously. As you say, we need knowledge, and labels are the quickest way to gain SOME knowledge about the products we buy. The critical thinking goes right along with it! Thank you for your insightful comment.

mihgasper says:

I try to be realistic. Most people really don't care about poison in our food, water, air, all environment. So I don't think we need labels. We need knowledge and critical thinking. Not only about sulfites, about everything!

 
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Worldwide, people are facing the same challenge.

I was very impressed with these reports from Australia.
TenNews
by barratthassett | video info

1 rating | 174 views
curated content from YouTube

Feeling more than a little overwhelmed?

We absolutely understand.

This photo courtesay of Bean thru http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.enOh, my goodness, you say. This is too much, too hard. I am absolutely overwhelmed.

We understand. We've been there, done that - and that's why we've created this lens. So you won't have as hard a time as we did.

First, let us help you be informed - information is power. We've got some web sites to help you. The first was written by a woman with a long history of sulfite sensitivity. She explains her personal experience and her belief that you can find a substitute for any sulfited product, if you look long and hard enough. She has really good suggestions for you. She can help you understand it, she can help you handle this.

There's another woman who, like me, has a sulfite-sensitive husband. She's really done her homework from a scientific viewpoint.

I just discovered a wonderful site by a woman with an amazing knowledge of sulfite sensitivity. It includes sulfite-free recipes and strategies for dealing with sulfite sensitivity in everyday life.

Last, we'll show you the web site that helped us understand the whole issue the best. This site uses humor, intelligence, and science to teach you about a very complicated problem. We learned so much from this author! His e-book about the subject is absolutely free to download. We printed it and read it a little at a time to give us time to digest and discuss it at our own pace.

But What CAN I Eat???

The good news is, you can eat many of the foods you ate before - you just have to look a little harder to find what you need. But I'm giving you a secret weapon that will save you from hours on your feet reading labels in the grocery store. It's a link to a wonderful site called foodfacts.com. You can look up so many, many grocery items, and the site provides you with all the nutritional information, including every ingredient found in the product.

For example, say you would like to have pork sausage links for breakfast. In the search box at the top of the page, type in sausage. A list of popular sausages will appear. Under each is the little blue word "Ingredients >". When you click the word, the ingredients appear. Let's pick three and compare them. Which of the following sausages should a sulfite sensitive individual pick?

a. Johnsonville Breakfast Pork Sausage:
Ingredients: Pork, Water, Salt, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Lemon Juice Powder (Corn Syrup Solids, Lemon Juice Solids, Lemon Oil), Monosodium Glutamate, Flavoring, BHT, Propyl Gallate, Citric Acid

b. Organic Valley Organic Italian Pork Sausage:
Ingredients: Pork (Organic), Water, Salt Sea, Milk Non-Fat Dry (Organic), Cane Sugar (Organic), Spice(s) (Organic), Garlic Powder (Organic), Rosemary Extract, Celery Seed Extract, Pork Casing Natural

c. Jimmy Dean Original Fresh Pork Sausage Links:
Ingredients: Pork, Water, Salt, Sugar, Spice(s), Corn Syrup, Monosodium Glutamate, Spice(s) Extractive, BHA, BHT, Citric Acid

If you picked "b," you're right.
Both "a" and "c" contain Citric Acid, which uses sulfites in its production.
"A" has both corn syrup and corn syrup solids; the third has corn syrup. Did you notice that "b" is sweetened with organic cane sugar? This is important. Beet sugar is whitened with sulfur dioxide. Only buy cane sugar, which is low in naturally occurring sulfites. The only possible problem I see is that "b" contains organic garlic powder. Many garlic powders are treated with sulfites to keep their color light. You still will have to do a little cautious trial and error to determine how YOU react to individual products.

In Praise of Whole Foods Market

Photo courtesy of www.hailmerry.com and http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.enYou can find products that you can eat at the local supermarket. I won't kid you - it's a lot of work, and you CAN do it successfully. But Whole Foods Market is like an oasis in the wilderness. I don't think there's a single product in the vast store that has high fructose corn syrup. The gigantic produce department is all organic, and not one piece of dehydrated fruit there has been treated with sulfites. I go there, and I love shopping again. I sincerely hope there's a Whole Foods Market near you.

As time goes on, I'll try to list some products that we enjoy that are safe for Gerald to eat, products that you might be able to find at your local grocery store. :)

Feeling our way . . .

I promised to give you a list of some foods that Gerald can eat without reactions so far. This can change at any time.

I hope this list will help you or your sulfite-sensitive friends. Some of these are in the form of a link to Amazon. Next to some of these "acceptable" foods, I will mention related items that we have discovered that Gerald can eat, as well as warnings for you to heed.

Keep in mind that the same foods are not safe for all people; each person has his/her own level of sensitivity. And those levels can change. Hopefully, this list will be a good place for you to start. I wish you all the best!

Photo courtesy of bark and Creative Commons 2.0.

1. Baked Goods

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2. Beverages

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3. Condiments and Relishes

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4. Dairy (and Non-Dairy) Products

Amazon doesn't sell a lot of dairy products online, for understandable reasons. :) So let me give you a basic rundown on dairy products that can be safe to eat.

SOUR CREAM: Like cheese, sour cream contains low levels of sulfite created naturally during the aging process. These do not bother Gerald, as long as the sour cream is a brand with no added ingredients. We like DAISY brand, which contains only milk and cream.

YOGURT: Plain yogurt is free of sulfites unless corn starch and gelatin are added. Beware of flavored yogurts containing corn syrup or other dangerous sweeteners.

CREAM CHEESE: Cream cheese contains low levels of sulfite created naturally. Watch out, too, for added ingredients in flavored cream cheeses like onion and garlic powder, which could cause problems.

EGGS: Eggs naturally contain some sulfur. Although this bothers many people, so far Gerald is able to eat eggs with no problems.
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5. Fruits and Vegetables

Remember that, at least in the United States, it is illegal for grocery stores to sell fresh produce that has been treated with sulfites. That's where your safest source of fruits and vegetables can be found.

Safe produce can also be found in the frozen food department, with the exception of frozen potatoes. Because potatoes so quickly turn brown, people are allowed to use sulfites on frozen french fries, frozen hash browns, etc. So be very careful!
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6. Gelatins

The e-book Headaches, Asthma, Fries and a Cola says this about sulfites and gelatin: "Gelatin is pure protein processed to promote the gelling of liquids. In other words, Jell-O. Most of the gelatin produced in the United States is made from pigskin, although cattle hide and bones are also used. The first step in making gelatin is a softening soak in sulfur dioxide and water. Why are we not surprised? Gelatin is used in many foods to build body and improve texture. Lowfat yogurts use lots of gelatin to make up for the missing milkfat. . . . An alternative to gelatin is fruit pectin. In the past, some forms of pectin were preserved with sulfites; however, today all forms are sulfite free."
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7. Grain Products and Pasta

Plain pasta is seldom a problem, but pasta sauce is. Besides the commonly included dehydrated onion and garlic, some contain cornstarch, modified food starch, modified corn starch, and so on. This is especially true in things like Alfredo or cheese sauces.
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8. Jams and Jellies

You wouldn't think it would be so hard to find jam made with sugar, would you? After all, when I was little and my mom made her own jam, she wouldn't have imagined she should make it with corn syrup! Look for jams and jellies made with SUGAR! (Be sure it's cane sugar - remember, beet sugar contains sulfites.)
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9. Nuts, Nut Products, and Coconut

The only nuts that have naturally-occurring sulfites in them are peanuts. This occurs in small amounts, but if you go crazy and eat peanuts like they're going out of style, they could create a problem for you.
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10. Processed Fruit

Be careful - most processed fruit is sweetened with corn syrup - and fruit pie fillings are loaded with cornstarch.
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11. Processed Vegetables

Be especially careful about food starches and cornstarch in canned chili.
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12. Seafood

The e-book Headaches, Asthma, Fries and a Cola explains the many forms of sulfur preservatives and discusses the problems they can cause. It says this about seafood: "Sulfites are a preservative for fish. Theoretically, sulfited fish must carry a warning somewhere near the fish display, but I've never seen one. And, a sulfited fish has bitten me more than a few times, especially salmon. Whether declared or not, shrimp are almost always preserved with sulfites to prevent a black spotting fungus. Restaurants can further complicate matters by deep frying shrimp in a common vat with vegetables. The shrimp sulfites leak into the oil and contaminate the otherwise clean vegetables."
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13. Snack Foods

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14. Soups

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15. Sweet Toppings

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16. Meats

The e-book Headache, Asthma, Fries and a Cola says the following about sulfites and meat: "Sulfites are not allowed on red meat. Sodium bisulfite does such a good job of color fixing, that sulfited ground beef can be rotten and you can't tell by looking at it. For this reason, the FDA has an absolute prohibition against sulfites in meat. However, the rule doesn't apply to other ingredients that may be mixed into the meat. For instance, sausage may legally contain corn syrup, molasses, or wine."

That's why we really appreciate Safeway's new Open Nature brand. The Safeway web site carries this information:

"The OPEN NATURE promise:
* We believe ingredients should come from nature.
* We believe food should be made only with ingredients we are proud to share.
* We believe food should be simply prepared, the way you'd make it at home.
* We believe food should be made with a commitment to quality."

They keep that promise. And that's why we buy most of our bacon, hot dogs, and sausage at Safeway. These products are not only sulfite-free, they are also nitrate- and nitrite-free.
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What do you mean, there's MORE???

Photo courtesy of Trippography and Creative Commons 2.0There's always more. Why? Because we're always learning. As I learn more about sulfite-containing products, I will post them HERE.

11/10/2011: Gerald loves to chew gum. But most gums contain some kind of corn sweetener. I was delighted to discover SPRY, a gum sweetened with the healthful sweetener called xylitol. We got the Green Tea flavor, because Gerald loves green tea. Terrific. Except that every time he chewed it, he got a reaction - long-term coughing and wheezing. A little research on the innocent-sounding ingredient VEGETABLE GLYCERIN yielded this information from eHow.com:

"Some vegetable glycerin products contain preservatives that are added to extend their shelf lives. Sulfite preservatives (compounds of oxygen and sulfur in combination with sodium sulfite or potassium sulfite) are popularly used to maintain the freshness of vegetable glycerin products, including soaps, shampoos and lotions. They produce asthma-like allergic reactions in allergy-prone individuals, the symptoms of which include itching, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, shortness of breath and hives."

Read more: Vegetable Glycerin Dangers | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6949143_vegetable-glycerin-dangers.html#ixzz1dKazyTAY

Any questions?

(Of course you have questions! This is hard stuff!)

This is a complex issue, and one that isn't easy to thoroughly cover in a Squidoo lens. But I have done extensive research, and if you have a question, there's a chance I'll have the answer. I'll do my best to answer or at least try to point you in the right direction to find those answers, okay?

  • cinains Apr 22, 2012 @ 6:33 pm | delete
    So I've always had a hard time drinking liquour because I would wheeze. So I simply stopped drinking because its not worth my asthma acting up. But last weekend something happened that scared me too much...we went out to eat and I had white rice with black beans and grilled chicken. My husband had sweet potato fries and fried shrimps. I ate one of his fries. Thirty min later I was dizzy, had a foggy brain and my body was flushing. Soon after had a rash on my face and one on my chest. Then shortness of breath. Benadryl and my inhaled helped. Just last Thursday I ate saltine crackers in the day and was fine but when I had them at night had a rash, itchiness on the body and short of breath with heart palps. I went to the er since benadryl wasn't working. But by the time I got there I was much better. Now I'm afraid of eating. I walk around with the epipen just in case but I don't know if I'm actually allergic to sulfites.
  • Joie Apr 22, 2012 @ 9:24 pm | delete
    You really have my sympathy.

    Eating out with a sulfite sensitivity can be like trying to safely navigate a minefield. Sulfites can be hidden anywhere. Here are some possibilities in the dinner you had:

    1. White rice is usually safe unless seasonings have been added. Black beans are safe if you cook them yourself. But the restaurant may have bought black beans in a can, where there's the possibility of added garlic powder (nearly always sulfited), onion powder (nearly always sulfited), or dehydrated garlic or onion ( nearly always sulfited). (Also, garlic and onion have a small amount of naturally occurring sulfites. Some people need to avoid them altogether.)

    2. The same applies to the grilled chicken. It's nearly impossible to find a seasoning for grilled chicken that does not include garlic and/or onion powder. (These are sulfited to keep them "nice" and white.) Also, the dehydrated vegetables used in some are almost certainly sulfited. Some, like McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning, list "Sulfiting Agents" right on the label.

    3. It's entirely possible that your husbands fries had been sulfited to keep the resulting fries bright in color. (And if you had eaten the shrimp, you'd surely have had sulfites - seafood is sulfited shortly after catching it to keep it from developing some kinds of mold.)

    Something to remember is that each person has a certain tolerance for sulfites and cannot exceed that tolerance without serious consequences. So you have to do some research to find out how much is contained in the foods you're eating, learn your tolerance, and do not exceed it. And sadly, your tolerance usually decreases with time, sometimes rapidly.

    Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I hope you come back and tell us what you've learned. I wish you all the best.
  • Emma Apr 19, 2012 @ 9:22 am | delete
    Really helpful, although to make my life harder i am also allergic to nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and intolerant to gluten and lactose...brilliant!
  • Joie Apr 22, 2012 @ 9:27 pm | delete
    Wow, Emma. I understand to a degree, because in addition to my husband's sulfite sensitivity, my daughter is gluten intolerant, diabetic, and has an allergy to almonds and pistachios. I've learned to be creative when cooking for the two of them - it's surprising what I've learned to do when I HAD to!

    Try to keep smiling - I'm rooting for you! :)
  • Judy Apr 11, 2012 @ 12:41 pm | delete
    What are the symptoms to look for?
  • Joie Apr 22, 2012 @ 9:48 pm | delete
    That's a harder question to answer than it looks like. :)

    Here's what Wikipedia says: "Sulfites are counted among the top nine food allergens, but a reaction to sulfite is not a true allergy.[8] Some people (but not many) have positive skin allergy tests to sulfites indicating true (IgE-mediated) allergy.[9] It may cause breathing difficulty within minutes after eating a food containing it,[10] asthmatics[11][12] and possibly people with salicylate sensitivity (or aspirin sensitivity)[13][14] are at an elevated risk for reaction to sulfites. Anaphalaxis and life threatening reactions are rare.[9] Other symptoms include sneezing, swelling of the throat, and hives.[14]"

    I hope that this information is helpful. If you need more information, let me know and I'll do some more research for you
  • Judy Apr 11, 2012 @ 11:47 am | delete
    Is there a safe dental anesthetic that is sulfite free? Thank you so much.
  • Joie Apr 22, 2012 @ 9:59 pm | delete
    All dental local anesthetics that contain epinephrine contain metabisulfite. There are other dental local anesthetics without epinephrine and without sulfites. The two commonly used ones are 3% mepivicaine and 4% prilocaine. For a more complete explanation, see the "Ask an Expert" page here: http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/48082.htm

    I hope this helps. :)
  • FranMaine Mar 11, 2012 @ 6:56 pm | delete
    Nice page - great info - thanks for taking the time - sulfites are a huge pain in my head !
  • Joie Apr 22, 2012 @ 10:18 pm | delete
    I'm so glad you came by! I hope you're able to forestall the headaches!!!
  • skiesgreen Feb 19, 2012 @ 5:26 pm | delete
    This explains why I am allergic to a lot of food and, therefore, grow most of it myself and make my own jams and preserves. Blessed and featured on Blessed by Skiesgreen 2012. Hugs.
  • Joie Feb 20, 2012 @ 2:36 am | delete
    How wonderful that you are able to grow your own food that is safe for you to eat. I'll bet your jams and preserves are wonderful. :) Thank you so much for the blessing and for featuring this lens on your special lens!
  • sherioz Feb 16, 2012 @ 3:42 pm | delete
    I never heard of this before. It sounds awful. This is an incredible lens. The photos are great and it is so information-packed!
  • Joie Feb 16, 2012 @ 4:11 pm | delete
    I'm glad you came, Sheri! You're not alone - many, many people have never heard of it before. They need to hear about it. Many suffer from this and never have a clue what's triggering their episodes of serious health problems.
    Thank you for the compliments! :)
  • Barbara Jan 29, 2012 @ 7:48 pm | delete
    I am in the same boat. I become extremely congestive and my nosal membranes
    closes and I have not been able to smell in 3 years.I have had sinus surgery and now have
    asthma . I almost died last night and had to go to the ER for nubilization with ventalin.
    My Doctors have no knowledge about this condition and seem unable to help
    with my constant congestion and asthma. very frustating
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Does living sulfite-free mean NO wine, ever?

It all depends. If you are VERY sensitive, maybe you will give up wine altogether. But if your sensitivity is not as great as Gerald's, pay close attention to this lesson on finding wine that you can drink. I warn you, it's a challenging proposition!

(Note: This video states that drinking beer is safe for people with sulfite sensitivity. This is not always true - do your research carefully.)
Is Organic Wine Sulfite Free? | Organic Wine
by AromaThyme | video info

6 ratings | 614 views
curated content from YouTube

I hope this page has helped you.

I appreciate your letting me share our experiences with you. It's been quite a journey, and if we can make that journey a little easier for the countless others who share this sensitivity, we will be content. Thank you.

  • GetFactsnotHype May 28, 2012 @ 1:04 pm | delete
    I featured this page of yours on "Living Sulfite Free" on my page on "Health and Beauty Solutions for Women" in the middle of that page. you can see it at http://www.squidoo.com/health-and-beauty-for-women
  • Joie May 28, 2012 @ 8:25 pm | delete
    Thank you so much! I just visited your fascinating page to take a look. It's obvious that you care a great deal for people. :) We appreciate your support.
  • JoshK47 May 20, 2012 @ 9:06 am | delete
    Popping back in to sprinkle some angel dust on this lens!
  • Joie May 20, 2012 @ 5:01 pm | delete
    Thank you so much, Josh!
  • Beautiful-Bridal Apr 10, 2012 @ 11:34 am | delete
    I think I've had a reaction to sulfites myself this year, probably from drinking wine. Allergies are so hard to track especially if you've never had them before. Thank you for sharing your husband's story.
  • Joie Apr 10, 2012 @ 4:18 pm | delete
    You're absolutely right. It's mind-boggling. It's amazing what you can learn if you HAVE to. Best wishes to you.
  • Sarah Feb 3, 2012 @ 3:37 pm | delete
    Hello, thank you so much for this page. I was diagnosed by my allergist four years ago with a sulphite allergy. In Australia, generally things are a bit easier from what I can see, we don't use nearly as much HFCS and if I read the word sugar in processed food I can be pretty assured it's cane sugar over here, owing to our abundance of it.

    In saying that I'm planning a trip to the US in September, and with food allergies I've been a little worried, I'm going to print your page out and check the products when I get there for any changes to ingredients. It's going to be a challenge as I just can't believe how many products are sulphited over there!

    On a side note, our grated cheese here has always been fine for me, most cheeses only contain pasturised milk, rennet and cultures. All of which have been fine so far.

    Thanks again, your thoroughness of research and clear format are a God send!

    If you ever get to try Australian wine, Happs Preservative free has been fine for me, it may contain low levels, but from all their websites and research I've done they're the most strict on the process. I've reacted to other wines that say they are 'preservative free.' But, this one has been wonderful.

    Also, we have to be pretty careful over here with medications, I once reacted to a panadol (headache tablet) which was coated with gelatin. At the time I didn't even think twice.

    Best of luck on your food journey!
  • Joie Feb 3, 2012 @ 5:32 pm | delete
    Sarah, I am so happy to hear from you. I hope you have a wonderful visit in September. :)

    Gerald has never had much of a problem with cheese, although I know there are naturally occurring sulfites in cheese. But grated cheese is another matter. It's so hard to find pre-grated cheese he can eat. I have to say, I'm getting a lot of experience with my hand grater! :D

    I've not yet seen Happs Preservative free on our shelves, but I'll keep looking. There are a number of other Australian wines here.

    I asked Gerald if he has been bothered by certain vitamins he takes in gelatin capsules. He replied, "Yes, a little." He just never bothered to tell me. (!) He doesn't like to complain.

    Wishing you all the best, Sarah. Thank you so much for your input!!!
  • Sarah Feb 14, 2012 @ 9:34 pm | delete
    Hi Joie,

    Now we've booked and paid for the trip, it's becoming more real, very exciting!

    I don't know if you or anyone else may know if Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has sulfites? I've been doing research and written to the company, yet to receive a reply. I have a few beers I can drink here without a problem - Just realised how alcohol related my comments have been :)

    I have to order Happs directly from the cellar door, but so far it's the only I can have without a reaction.

    Thanks again for going to the trouble of writing such a helpful column!
  • Joie Feb 16, 2012 @ 4:17 pm | delete
    So good to hear from you again, Sarah. :)

    I've been trying to research beers, and I keep coming up with contradictory results. I would not like to recommend anything I'm not sure of. Gerald pretty well just avoids beer. If I learn anything different, I will be sure to let you know. If you go to my bio page, you can click on the "Contact" button, which allows you to email me directly. Then if I learn anything that would be helpful to you, I can reply via email.

    Happy planning!
  • LaraineRose Jan 28, 2012 @ 5:10 am | delete
    A return trip to check out your lens. WOW, I'm impressed .. you are flyin'. (Not from the wine you're not drinking.) I hope you'll soon make another lens for me to see.
  • Joie Jan 29, 2012 @ 3:01 pm | delete
    So happy to see you again! And I do have another lens simmering - but only in my head so far. ;)
  • michellemuggli Jan 24, 2012 @ 9:56 am | delete
    Such an important topic, this is something my husband suffered from for years. His sensitivity turned out to be linked to an underlying medical issue though and once he was treated the severity of his reactions subsided. So people should definitely discuss this with their doctors. We still avoid sulfites as much as possible because regardless of how we react to them, they just are not good for us (and because we got used to eating fresh food that just tastes better than the pre-packaged, preserved stuff!)
  • Joie Jan 24, 2012 @ 12:30 pm | delete
    Another sulfite-sensitive husband? Wow, thanks so much for coming and for commenting! I'm so glad you investigated further and got treatment for his underlying medical issue. Gerald will be having a checkup soon - we'll definitely discuss this with his doctor. Thank you!
  • jasmineann Jan 24, 2012 @ 9:05 am | delete
    I think you have done a great job here. I understand to some degree about the shopping issue as we have diabetes in the family and when it was first diagnosed shopping for food was a difficult thing! Took hours trying to read labels and all that sugar in things we didn't realise! I think food should be much better labelled and be very clear about what it contains. We also have to take responsibility to educate ourselves. This would help everyone coping with food sensitivities, allergies and conditions as well as just knowing what we are putting in our bodies. I am sure this page will help many people. Thank you for sharing.
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