About Sulfites

Sulfites (also sulphites) are sulfur-containing compounds (typically Sulfur Dioxide - SO2) that are used as food preservatives. Winemakers use sulfites to keep wine from spoiling. However, all wines (even those that have not had sulfites added by the winemaker) contain small amounts of sulfites, which are produced naturally by yeast during fermentation.

Surefire ways to tell if your wine contains added sulfites

Friday, January 1, 2010

O.k. folks, there is a lot of confusion out there about this issue and labels can be very confusing, so here is what to look for next time you visit the wine store:

No sulfites added” or
Contains only naturally occurring sulfites
  • According to the current USDA standards wines containing fewer than 10 ppm of sulfites may be labeled "contains only naturally occurring sulfites” or “no sulfites added."

100% Organic
  • Products labeled as “100% Organic” cannot use added sulfites in production. Therefore, since no added sulfites are present in the finished product, the label may not require a sulfite statement.
  • The USDA Organic Seal (right) may be placed on the label of a product that is certified as “100% Organic”
  • The USDA-accredited certifying agent seal (see the link below for a complete list) may be placed on the label of a product that is certified as “100% Organic.” 
Organic
  • When labeling your product as “Organic,” it must not contain added sulfites. Therefore, since no added sulfites are present in the finished product, the label may not require a sulfite statement.
  • The phrase “X% Organic” or “X% Organic ingredients” may be included on the labeling.
  • The USDA Organic Seal (above right) may be placed on the label of a product that is certified as “Organic.”
  • The USDA-accredited certifying agent seal may be placed on the label of a product that is certified as “Organic.” 
However, and this is a big however, any wine that has the statement "contains sulfites" on the label, contains more than 10 parts per million of sulfites. And for me, personally any wine with that amount of sulfites may be enough to make me sick.

USDA Accredited Certifying Agents
USDA Guidelines for labeling wine
Organic Consumers Association

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One response to “Surefire ways to tell if your wine contains added sulfites”
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Marvel Boy said...

I am happy that I now know how to distinguish a sulfite-free wine from a non-sulfite-free wine. I am also happy to see a snappy new layout for this extremely innovative blog. I certainly hope others realize what a valuable resource this space is for discerning-but-allergic wine-drinkers.

January 5, 2010 at 1:37 PM

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