E220

What is E220?

Sulphur dioxide — a sulphite preservative and antioxidant used in dried fruit, wine and other foods, with well-documented labelling rules and reported associations with asthma symptoms in some sensitive people.

Quick answer

Sulphur dioxide (E220) is a sulphite used as a preservative and antioxidant (for example to limit browning) in dried fruit, wine, potato products and other foods. It is permitted in Australia/NZ, the EU and the US within set limits, and must usually be declared when present at 10 milligrams per kilogram or more. EFSA's 2022 follow-up withdrew the temporary group Acceptable Daily Intake for sulphur dioxide–sulphites (E220–E228) because toxicity data remained inadequate, and instead used a margin-of-exposure approach that raised a safety concern for high consumers in most population groups. Regulators and allergy bodies have long noted that sulphites may be associated with asthma-like symptoms in some sensitive individuals. Goodnessly rates it Avoid.

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Read the FAQ →

What is sulphur dioxide?

Sulphur dioxide (E220) is an inorganic sulphite preservative and antioxidant. It belongs to the wider sulphite group that also includes sodium sulphite (221), sodium bisulphite (222), sodium metabisulphite (223), potassium metabisulphite (224) and related salts (226–228). Sulphites can also occur naturally in some foods; the additive form is added deliberately for preservation or anti-browning. On labels you may see "sulphur dioxide", "sulfur dioxide" (US spelling), "220", or the class name "preservative" / "antioxidant" with the number.

What's it used for?

Preserving dried fruit and limiting browning in dried fruit and vegetables
Preserving wine, beer and other fermented drinks (also used in winemaking to manage fermentation)
Limiting spoilage and browning in some potato products and processed vegetables
Used in selected fruit juices, cordials and other permitted processed foods

Where you'll find E220 on the shelf

Sulphites are common in dried fruit and wine — always check the ingredients list if you are sulphite-sensitive.

Dried fruit & dried vegetables

Wine, beer & cider

Potato products

Fruit juices & cordials

Some processed vegetables

Selected condiments

Is sulphur dioxide safe? What the research says

Sulphur dioxide and other sulphites remain widely permitted, but they carry mandatory declaration rules in major markets, and EFSA's latest assessment withdrew the temporary group ADI and flagged a safety concern for high consumers. Separately, sulphites have long been associated in clinical and regulatory literature with adverse reactions in some people with asthma — an association that is still incompletely quantified.

Region	Status	What this means
AU/NZ Australia & New Zealand (FSANZ)	Permitted; declare ≥10 mg/kg	Permitted under the Food Standards Code for specified foods at maximum levels (often expressed as sulphur dioxide). Added sulphites must be declared when present at 10 milligrams per kilogram (10 mg/kg) or more. FSANZ and Australian allergy guidance note that sulphite sensitivity is more common among people with asthma.
EU European Union (EFSA)	Permitted; ADI withdrawn 2022	Authorised as E220 (group E220–E228). EFSA's 2016 re-evaluation set a temporary group ADI of 0.7 milligrams of SO₂ equivalents per kilogram of body weight per day. The 2022 follow-up withdrew that temporary ADI because the toxicity database remained inadequate, applied a margin-of-exposure approach (reference point 38 mg SO₂ equivalents/kg bw/day; assessment factor 80), and concluded this raises a safety concern for estimated dietary exposures in both refined and maximum-permitted-level scenarios for most population groups. EFSA also restated the need to further investigate hypersensitivity among some sensitive consumers.
US United States (FDA)	Permitted; declare ≥10 ppm	Sulfiting agents are permitted in many foods under FDA rules, with mandatory declaration when present at 10 parts per million (10 mg/kg) or more. Sulfites with a technical or functional effect in the finished food must be declared regardless of level. FDA has separately restricted sulfites on fresh fruits and vegetables intended to be served raw (a historical restaurant/salad-bar use).

Wording matters here: regulators describe sulphite-related breathing difficulties in some sensitive people — particularly some people with asthma — as a recognised hypersensitivity concern, not as proof that sulphur dioxide will cause asthma in the general population. Prevalence estimates vary; ASCIA and similar bodies advise sulphite-sensitive individuals to read labels carefully.

📰 Recent developments Last checked September 2026

EFSA 2022 follow-up: withdrew the temporary group ADI for E220–E228; used a margin-of-exposure approach and concluded estimated intakes raise a safety concern for high consumers in all population groups except adolescents (refined scenario).
Hypersensitivity data gaps: EFSA restated its recommendation to further investigate hypersensitivity or intolerance among some sensitive consumers, because knowledge gaps remain.
Label thresholds unchanged: AU/NZ and US still generally require sulphite declaration at or above 10 mg/kg (10 ppm), so the practical shopping cue on dried fruit and wine labels remains the same.

This section is checked periodically rather than continuously — if you're reading this well after the date above, it's worth confirming nothing has changed before citing it.

Who might want to limit or avoid it

People with asthma or a known sulphite sensitivity, given longstanding clinical and regulatory notes that sulphites may be associated with wheezing or other reactions in some sensitive individuals
High consumers of dried fruit, wine or other sulphited foods, given EFSA's 2022 finding that estimated intakes raise a safety concern for high consumers in most age groups
Anyone who prefers to minimise preservative sulphites and can choose unsulphited dried fruit or lower-sulphite wine options where available

Goodnessly rates E220 Avoid. Sulphur dioxide remains permitted within set limits in Australia/NZ, the EU and the US, but EFSA's 2022 withdrawal of the temporary group ADI, the margin-of-exposure concern for high consumers, and the well-recognised association between sulphites and adverse reactions in some sensitive people — including some people with asthma — place it in our highest-caution category.

Additives 1

E220 – Sulphur dioxide

Sulphite preservative/antioxidant, rated Avoid by Goodnessly. May be associated with reactions in some sulphite-sensitive people.

How to spot it on a label

E220 and related sulphites must usually be declared when at or above 10 mg/kg. Look out for:

Sulphur dioxide / sulfur dioxide
220 or E220
Preservative (220) or antioxidant (220)
Other sulphites: 221–228 (sodium/potassium/calcium sulphites and metabisulphites)

Especially common on dried fruit, wine and some potato-product labels.

Related additives

Frequently asked questions

What is Sulphur dioxide (E220) made from?

Sulphur dioxide is an inorganic gas produced industrially for use as a food preservative and antioxidant. In food it belongs to the sulphite group (E220–E228). Small amounts of sulphites can also occur naturally in some foods.

Can sulphur dioxide affect people with asthma?

Sulphites have long been associated in clinical and regulatory literature with adverse reactions — including asthma-like symptoms such as wheezing — in some sensitive individuals, and sensitivity appears more common among people who already have asthma. That is an association for a sensitive subgroup, not evidence that sulphur dioxide causes asthma in the general population. If you have asthma or a known sulphite sensitivity, check labels and follow clinical advice.

Why did EFSA withdraw the sulphite ADI?

In 2016 EFSA set a temporary group Acceptable Daily Intake pending more data. The 2022 follow-up found the toxicity database was still inadequate to derive an ADI, so the temporary ADI was withdrawn. EFSA then used a margin-of-exposure approach and concluded estimated dietary exposures raise a safety concern for high consumers in most population groups.

Does Goodnessly rate E220 as safe, caution or avoid?

Goodnessly rates E220 (Sulphur dioxide) as Avoid. It remains permitted within set limits, but EFSA's 2022 ADI withdrawal and high-consumer concern, plus the recognised association with reactions in some sulphite-sensitive people, place it in our highest-caution category.

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