What are the possible health consequences of dietary intake of benzoates and sulphites?
FSANZ is aware that sulphites are of particular concern to those suffering from asthma. This concern is already addressed by the mandatory labelling of all foods with sulphite concentrations of 10 mg/kg or more. The issue of sulphite sensitivity has been considered previously by FSANZ and resulted in the wide distribution of a brochure entitled “For Asthma Sufferers: The Facts About Sulphites in Food” which is available on the FSANZ web site. There is little evidence to suggest that sulphites are a concern for non-asthmatics. In relation to other potential health consequences, there is currently no clinical evidence to suggest that high dietary intake of sulphites and benzoates can cause adverse effects in people. Food additives are tested in experimental animals in order to identify any potential adverse health effects. Such studies are normally conducted at dose levels that are considerably higher than the levels normally found in foods. Sulphites, when tested in animals for periods
