E220 Sulfur Dioxide

Sulphur Dioxide (E220).

Sulfur dioxide is a food additive, which is assigned the code E220 in the international classification, is a preservative, prevents the growth and reproduction of bacteria and fungi. Inhibits the enzymatic darkening of vegetables and fruits, slows the formation of melanoidins.

General characteristics of Sulfur Dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas, but has a sharp and irritating odor characteristic of hydrogen sulfide. The substance is dissolved in water, at sub-zero temperature it turns into a liquid state. Sulfur dioxide can be obtained during the process of burning sulfur or during the firing of sulfide ores (calorizator). The absorption of the gas with cold water or its liquefaction is necessary to purify the sulfur dioxide, which in its pure form is toxic.

The maximum single exposure limit is 0.5 mg /^m3. The chemical formula is SO₂.

The harm of E220 Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide has a high degree of toxicity, when inhaling the vapors of the substance, the body will react with a cough, runny nose, and a sore throat. If you accidentally get concentrated sulfur dioxide on the mucous membranes, you may experience choking and difficulty swallowing, speech disorders, uncontrollable vomiting, and even pulmonary edema. The sulfur dioxide found in wines causes headaches, nausea, and stomach upset. E220 provokes the occurrence of allergic reactions, but many people do not have ailments, so they usually talk about individual intolerance to the substance. Especially carefully, you should use products treated with E220 for asthmatics. Sulfur dioxide has a devastating effect on vitamin B1, and completely destroys vitamin B12 in the body.

When ingested, it is rapidly oxidized and then released outwards along with the urine. But people have different sensitivity to this drug. This is due to the acidity of the gastric juice (with high or low acidity, the tolerance is worse, and with normal-better) and the amount (sufficient or insufficient) of the enzymes necessary for its processing.

Purpose of E220 Sulfur Dioxide

As a preservative, E220 slows down the fermentation process (with the inevitable darkening) of fresh fruits and vegetables, it has the property of bleaching and preserving products in their “original” form. It is used as a preservative to increase the shelf life of fruit and berry juices, wines and other beverages.

Application of E220

In the food industry, E220 is used in the production of dried fruits, fruit and vegetable preservation, juices and beverages based on them, in winemaking and meat processing complex. The antimicrobial property of E220 has found application for the preservation of fresh fruits, berries and vegetables, purees and juices. Also, sulfur dioxide is part of many products containing liquid pectin-jams, marmalades and various varieties of jam.

How to remove Sulfur dioxide from dried fruits

As mentioned above, in the production of dried fruits, sulfur dioxide is necessarily added, which allows the dried fruits not to darken and prevents the development of microorganisms, increasing their shelf life. Of course, the manufacturer adheres to the norms of the content of the preservative E220 in production, but it is still better to process dried fruits at home in order to eat less preservatives.

Sulfur dioxide is highly soluble in water, so it will be enough to wash the dried fruits well and soak them in water at room temperature for about half an hour, preferably changing the water several times.

Use of sulfur dioxide

On the territory of our country, the use of the food additive E220 is allowed, provided that the permissible application standards are strictly observed.