Are you aware of Sulfur Dioxide in Dried Fruits?

Would you like to eat some Sulfur Dioxide? No, right. But this food preservative finds its way into some food items like dried fruits.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is a toxic gas. SO2 forms when sulfur-containing fuel such as coal, oil, or diesel is burned. Sulfur dioxide also converts in the atmosphere to sulfates, a major part of fine particle pollution.  Then would you like to eat some Sulfur Dioxide? No, right. But this food preservative finds its way into some food items like dried fruits like dried apricots and raisins and prunes.

And while most people may be okay with ingesting a small amount of sulfite, those who have a Sulfur Allergy or Sensitivity can react negatively to it. Also, it could be bad for those who have Asthma. If you have either of the three problems mentioned above, ingesting sulfur dioxide can result in health problems, including breathing problems, life-threatening allergy-like symptoms or, in rare cases, death.

Dried fruits are among the foods highest in sulfites, with raisins and prunes containing between 500 and 2,000 parts per million. By comparison, wine — a food thought by many to be high in sulfites — contains between 20 and 350 parts per million. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandates that foods containing more than 10 parts per million of sulfites must list this information on the food label. Countries have different standards for sulfites.

That being said, if while eating dried fruits, raisins or prunes, you develop asthma-like symptoms, like difficulty in breathing, seek help immediately. 

Credits: Healthyeating.sfgate