Fumes of burning sulfur were used as a sanitizing agent in wine-making by the ancient Egyptians and Romans. The practice is continued by the modern wine industry.
The compound is a colorless, nonflammable gas or liquid under pressure, with a suffocating, pungent odor.
Sulfur dioxide is used to prevent browning in certain dried fruits and to prevent wild yeast growth in wines used to make vinegar.
Sulfur dioxide also is used to control the growth of undesirable microorganism in soft fruits, fruit juices, wines, sausages, fresh shrimp, and acid pickles and using extraction of starches.
It is added to expressed grape juices used for making wines to inhibit molds, bacteria, and undesirable yeasts.
The most obvious drawback of sulfur dioxide is its intense pungent odor, which may be apparent in foods it is used to treat.
Sulfur dioxide as food additive
