The Nation - News from Nov. 20, 1985

The Food and Drug Administration proposed that an estimated 1,100 prescription drugs containing sulfite preservatives carry warnings that the substance can cause an allergic reaction, possibly life-threatening, in some susceptible people. The FDA issued a proposed regulation that would require the warning in drug-information inserts given to physicians. The agency said it was acting after receiving 14 reports of allergic reactions to sulfite preservatives in drugs, primarily among asthmatics. It said more reactions may have occurred but have been attributed to side effects of the drug involved.