What are the health hazards of sulfur dioxide residues in food?

In the process of food production and processing, there is a sulfur-containing food additive that is often used as a bleaching agent and preservative, including sulfur, sodium sulfite, sodium metabisulfite, sodium hyposulfite and so on

1.

What does it do?

Sulfur-containing food additives are bleaching agents and preservatives commonly used in food processing

2.

What are the dangers of human health?

After eating foods containing sulfur dioxide residues, sulfur dioxide that enters the human body is eventually converted into sulfates and excreted with urine

3.

What are the regulations for sulfur dioxide residues?

The National Standard for Food Safety The Standard for the Use of Food Additives (GB 2760) stipulates the varieties, scope of use and maximum amount of use or residue of sulfur-containing food additives allowed in food

For example, sulfur is only used for fumigation of candied fruit, cold fruit, dried fruit, dried vegetables, star anise, sugar, konjac powder and other foods; Sulfur dioxide, potassium metabisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium hyposulfite can be widely used in preserved candied fruit, dried fruit, dried vegetables, humus, starch, candy, biscuits, wine, fruit wine and other foods; Sodium metabisulfite can be used for fresh aquatic products, frozen aquatic products, frozen surimi products (all limited to marine shrimp and crabs and their products) and so on

In recent years, the problem of sulfur dioxide residues in food has received widespread attention

4.

What should I be aware of?

There are many reasons why the residual amount of sulfur dioxide in food exceeds the standard, individual producers use inferior raw materials to reduce costs, and in order to improve the color of the product, the excessive use of sulfur-containing food additives; Some producers use this traditional process, sulfur fumigation bleaching, or directly use sulfite soaking to preserve freshness; Some producers do not operate in a standardized manner, do not measure or measure inaccurately

Therefore, consumers should buy food in regular supermarkets and other places, do not one-sidedly pursue the bright color of the product, such as finding a pungent smell should be carefully selected; Before eating, refer to the way of eating on the product label, through the cooking method of rinsing, boiling or stewing with water, you can also remove some sulfur-containing food additives