Use of sulphur dioxide in food preservations

As a preservative

Sulfur dioxide is sometimes used as a preservative for dried apricots, dried figs, and other dried
fruits, owing to its antimicrobial properties, and is called E220 when used in this way in Europe.
As a preservative, it maintains the colorful appearance of the fruit and prevents rotting. It is also
added to sulfured molasses.
In winemaking

Sulfur dioxide was used by the Romans in winemaking, when they discovered that burning
sulfur candles inside empty wine vessels keeps them fresh and free from vinegar smell.[19]
Sulfur dioxide is still an important compound in winemaking, and is measured in parts per
million in wine. It is present even in so-called unsulfurated wine at concentrations of up to
10 mg/L.[20] It serves as an antibiotic and antioxidant, protecting wine from spoilage by bacteria
and oxidation. Its antimicrobial action also helps to minimize volatile acidity. Sulfur dioxide is
responsible for the words "contains sulfites" found on wine labels.
Sulfur dioxide exists in wine in free and bound forms, and the combinations are referred to as
total SO2. Binding, for instance to the carbonyl group of acetaldehyde, varies with the wine in
question. The free form exists in equilibrium between molecular SO2 (as a dissolved gas) and
bisulfite ion, which is in turn in equilibrium with sulfite ion. These equilibria depend on the pH
of the wine. Lower pH shifts the equilibrium towards molecular (gaseous) SO2, which is the
active form, while at higher pH more SO2 is found in the inactive sulfite and bisulfite forms. The
molecular SO2 is active as an antimicrobial and antioxidant, and this is also the form which may
be perceived as a pungent odour at high levels. Wines with total SO2 concentrations below 10
ppm do not require "contains sulfites" on the label by US and EU laws. The upper limit of total
SO2 allowed in wine in the US is 350 ppm; in the EU it is 160 ppm for red wines and 210 ppm
for white and ros wines. In low concentrations, SO2 is mostly undetectable in wine, but at free
SO2 concentrations over 50 ppm, SO2 becomes evident in the smell and taste of wine.[citation needed]
SO2 is also a very important compound in winery sanitation. Wineries and equipment must be
kept clean, and because bleach cannot be used in a winery due the risk of cork taint,[21] a mixture
of SO2, water, and citric acid is commonly used to clean and sanitize equipment. Compounds of
ozone (O3) are now used extensively as cleaning products in wineries[citation needed] due to their
efficiency, and because these compounds do not affect the wine or equipment.