​​Sulphur dioxide in meat​

Sulphur dioxide is a chemical used as a preservative in some foods, such as meat. It is strictly controlled by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code as some people might have a serious reaction to it.

Permitted products

In the meat industry, sulphur dioxide can be used in:

• some processed meat, poultry and game products that are produced using comminuted meats (for example, chopped, diced)
• mortadella, chicken loaf, turkey loaf, frankfurters, luncheon meats, Polish salami, Devon and manufactured hams  
• raw unprocessed sausage and sausage meat
• sausages, sausage meat and sausage rissoles, chipolatas, BBQ sausages, beef and pork sausages, chicken sausages  
• hamburger patties made from sausage meat.

Sulphur dioxide and sulphites must not be added as preservatives to:

• raw minced beef, chicken, lamb  
• ‘100% meat’ hamburger patties  
• whole sides or cuts of fresh raw meat, game or poultry  
• processed (or cured) whole meat cuts such as shoulder or leg ham and silverside  
• cured meats such as bacon, prosciutto, pastrami, smoked chicken or turkey (not loaf)  
• dried meats such as beef jerky.

Permission depends on the product’s formulation and processing, rather than its name alone.

Declaring sulphites

Added sulphites must be declared when present in food at concentrations of 10 mg/kg or more.

For packaged food requiring an ingredients list, the word sulphites must appear in bold in the ingredients list and in a separate ‘Contains’ summary statement.

For unpackaged food, such as sausages sold at a butcher’s shop, this information must be displayed with the food or provided to customers on request.

For more information on declaring allergens, see Food allergen rules.

More information

• Additives - Food Standards Australia New Zealand