Dietary intakes of sulfites could be a safety concern for high consumers of foodstuffs that contain the additives, EFSA’s experts concluded in their updated assessment of sulfur dioxide (E220) and sulfites (E221-228)

The Panel discovered evidence of harmful impacts on the central nervous system, including evidence of nerve cells' delayed responses to stimuli, a precursor to nervous system failure. The scientists at EFSA also reiterated their earlier advice to look into some sensitive consumers' hypersensitivity or intolerance in more detail due to knowledge limitations. As part of the re-evaluation programme for food additives approved in the EU before 20 January 2009, EFSA reevaluated the safety of sulfites in 2016. In the interim, the Panel established a group ADI of 0.7 milligrammes per kilogramme of body weight per day, awaiting the accessibility of fresh information needed to draw firm conclusions about their safety. The information provided by industry and made publicly available in the literature was not enough to establish an ADI, despite the European Commission having issued a call for data to resolve the uncertainties mentioned in the earlier re-evaluation by EFSA. Sulfur dioxide has been separately assessed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in accordance with the EU's Biocidal Products Regulation, with a focus on its applications in the disinfection of wine barrels and as a preservative to prevent microbial growth in shoe boxes during storage and transportation.