Panel Urges Ban on Sulfite Spray to Make Some Foods Look Fresher

Sulfite chemicals used to make fresh produce look fresher are so dangerous to a small number of Americans that government action to restrict or ban their use is needed, a scientific advisory committee said Friday.

The panel told the Food and Drug Administration that sulfites, which restaurants sometimes spray on fresh fruits, vegetables and some potato products, have been implicated in at least four deaths.

While the sulfite agents are harmless to most people and are already decreasing in use, the panel said, “practical means need to be found to protect sulfite-sensitive individuals from the potential hazard of sulfites.”

Better labeling is not enough, the panel said. It commended the National Restaurant Assn.and Produce Marketing Assn. for encouraging their members to cut use of sulfites and proposed that the government carry the action further.