Good morning and welcome to the Surviving Sulfites Blog. This Blog is intended to be a place to learn about Sulfite Allergies/Sensitivities, and how to deal with them in day to day life.


     We will try to post about once a week, at the least once a month, something new, hopefully interesting, and ideally helpful to folks with Sulfite and related allergies. We will also post our experiences dealing with restaraunts, stores, farmers markets, medics, and life in general as affected by this allergy.


     I am not a doctor or physician of any type, and neither is my wife, who has a sulfite allergy, nor will we pretend to be. We will always try to provide a reference for our conclusions or statements. We strongly encourage you dear reader, to seek the advice of a qualified physician. It is not our intent or our place to provide medical advice.

     That being said, Lets get to it.

What is a Sulfite and who may be affected or at risk?

Here is the WebMD definition:

"Sulfites are a group of sulfur-based compounds that may occur naturally or may be added to food as an enhancer and preservative. The FDA estimates that one out of 100 people is sensitive to the compounds. A person can develop sensitivity to sulfites at any time in life, and the trigger for the sensitivity is unknown. For a person who is sensitive to sulfites, a reaction can be mild or life threatening."

Where can Sulfites be commonly found?

Also from WebMD:
Examples of foods that may contain sulfites include:

• Baked goods
• Soup mixes
• Jams
• Canned vegetables
• Pickled foods
• Gravies
• Dried fruit
• Potato chips
• Trail mix
• Beer and wine
• Vegetable juices
• Sparkling grape juice
• Apple cider
• Bottled lemon juice and lime juice
• Tea
• Many condiments
• Molasses
• Fresh or frozen shrimp
• Guacamole
• Maraschino cherries
• Dehydrated, pre-cut or peeled potatoes

Sulfite-containing ingredients to look for on food labels include:

• Sulfur dioxide
• Potassium bisulfite or potassium metabisulfite
• Sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, or sodium sulfite

     We will reference WebMD,  the Mayo Clinic, and other sources often.  Again we are not medics, and defer to the experts.  I have worked and lived around medics for many years, while in the military and in my professional career.  Several members of my family are in the medical arena, and I've come to value their opinions.  WebMD and the Mayo Clinic are frequently referenced as very reliable sources from my own physician, those I have worked with, and our family and friends in the medical arena.

     We happily invite and encourage anyone in the medical community to chime in and add to, or corect any statements we make on this Blog.  Our intent is to share our experiences on an allergy that is wide spread, and at the same time relatively unheard of. 

     As always, consult your physician, DO NOT take our word for it.