Food additive databasebleaching agent, preservative, antioxidantChecked 2026-10-02
Sodium Sulfite 亜硫酸ナトリウム（別名亜硫酸ソーダ）
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E221)
- Purpose
- bleaching agent, preservative, antioxidant
- On the label
- “保存料（亜硫酸塩）” (preservative (sulfite)), “酸化防止剤（亜硫酸Na）” (antioxidant (sodium sulfite)), “漂白剤（亜硫酸ナトリウム）” (bleaching agent (sodium sulfite))
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- 亜硫酸ナトリウム（別名亜硫酸ソーダ） (No. 34)
In Japan
- One of the sulfites, used for bleaching, preservation, and preventing oxidation.
- The standards for use are set as residue calculated as sulfur dioxide, with upper limits for each food, such as dried gourd strips (kanpyo), dried fruits, konjac flour, and fruit wine. It may not be used in sesame, legumes, or vegetables.
- When used as a bleaching agent, preservative, or antioxidant, the purpose name must be written alongside. Its short names are “亜硫酸塩” (sulfite) and “亜硫酸Na” (sodium sulfite).
Japan's standards for use
- As residue calculated as sulfur dioxide: dried gourd strips (kanpyo) less than 5.0 g/kg
- Dried fruits (excluding raisins) less than 2.0 g/kg; raisins less than 1.5 g/kg
- Konjac flour less than 0.90 g/kg; dried potatoes, gelatin, and Dijon mustard less than 0.50 g/kg
- Fruit wine and other alcoholic beverages (雑酒), soft drinks made from wine with the alcohol removed, etc. less than 0.35 g/kg
- Candied cherries and molasses less than 0.30 g/kg; tapioca starch for saccharification less than 0.25 g/kg; starch syrup (mizuame) less than 0.20 g/kg
- Natural fruit juice (to be diluted 5 times or more before drinking) less than 0.15 g/kg; sweetened beans (amanatto), simmered beans, shrimp (peeled), and frozen raw crab less than 0.10 g/kg
- Other foods less than 0.030 g/kg
- May not be used in sesame, legumes, or vegetables
This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.
In the EU
- It is on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E221.
- In its 2022 follow-up to the re-evaluation, EFSA withdrew the temporary group ADI it had set in 2016 (0.7 mg per kg of body weight per day, as sulfur dioxide)
When it is labeled under a shared name
Sodium Sulfite may be declared on the label in the same way as “亜硫酸塩”. See Sulfites for details.
Sources
- List of Designated Additives — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- Standards for use and storage of each additive — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- EU food additive database (Japanese translation) — MAFF (Japanese)
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — EUR-Lex
- 消費者庁 食品表示基準Q&A 別添 添加物関係（簡略名・用途名併記・一括名・栄養強化の範囲） (Japanese)
- EFSA FAF Panel (2022) Follow-up of the re-evaluation of sulfur dioxide (E 220) and sulfites (E 221-228) (Japanese)
Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.