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Insight Horizon Media

Is sodium metabisulfite in Food Safe?

Author

Emma Martin

Published Feb 26, 2026

Is sodium metabisulfite in Food Safe?

Is Sodium Metabisulfite Safe to Eat? Yes, it almost has no side effects and the safety has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as well as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

How is sodium metabisulfite used in food?

Sodium metabisulfite is a reducing agent used in dough. It is used frequently in cookie and cracker production. It is also used as a preservative for baked goods, wine, dried fruit and jams due to its antioxidant capacity.

What is the difference between sodium metabisulfite and sodium bisulfite?

The key difference between sodium bisulfite and sodium metabisulfite is that the sodium bisulfite has only one sulfur atom and three oxygens, and the bisulfite anion is monovalent whereas, the sodium metabisulfite has two sulfur atoms, five oxygens, and the anion is divalent.

How do you test the purity of sodium metabisulfite?

METHOD OF ASSAY Weigh 0.2 g of the sample to the nearest mg, add to 50.0 ml of 0.1 N iodine in a glass-stoppered flask, and stopper the flask. Allow to stand for 5 min, add 1 ml of hydrochloric acid, and titrate the excess iodine with 0.1 N sodium thiosulfate, adding starch TS as the indicator.

Is sodium metabisulfite harmful to humans?

* Sodium Metabisulfite can affect you when breathed in. * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. * Breathing Sodium Metabisulfite can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. * Sodium Metabisulfite may cause an asthma-like allergy.

What is the pH of sodium metabisulfite?

4.6
Sodium Metabisulfite Solution (SMBS) is made by dissolving solid sodium metabisulfite into water and has a pH of 4.6 at 1.0 % (by weight) solution strength.

What is the difference between sodium metabisulfite and potassium metabisulfite?

The only difference between sodium metabisulfite and potassium metabisulfite is that they will leave a residual trace of either sodium or potassium. Some brewers prefer potassium metabisulfite as they deem it to have a more neutral flavour, the amounts being used however are very small so I tend not to worry.

Is sodium metabisulfite an acid or base?

A corrosive acid when mixed with water. Used as a food preservative and as a laboratory reagent. Sodium disulfite is an inorganic sodium salt composed of sodium and disulfite ions in a 2:1 ratio.

What is the pH of sodium bisulfite?

3.6 – 4.6
Sodium Bisulfite 40% Solution (NaHSO3) is a pale-yellow liquid….Chemical Composition.

Sodium Bisulfite, wt%38.0 – 42.0
pH3.6 – 4.6

How toxic is sodium metabisulfite?

* Breathing Sodium Metabisulfite can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. * Sodium Metabisulfite may cause an asthma-like allergy. Future exposure can cause asthma attacks with shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, and/or chest tightness.