We're getting ready to go on a trip...and whenever I travel abroad, I always make sure that I have plenty of dairy-free snacks in my carry on to get me through the trip. One staple I usually take is a trail mix that includes nuts and dried fruits. Today as I was grocery shopping for my trail mix, I noticed on the shelves that there was the option to get dried fruits that contained sulphur or not. I have always noticed that sulphur was added to dried fruits but was never really sure why.
When I got home, I did my research and I'm glad I did! I will not be buying sulphured dried fruits ever again. According to several sources online, including Organic Guide, sulphur is added to dried fruits to preserve the bright colors. Many sources mentioned that when dried fruit is kept sulphur-free, it often becomes dull in color, though it often retains the flavor of the fruit BETTER than the fruit that has been sulphured... Now why on earth would I choose to injest a preservative just so that my dried fruit can maintain its bright red or orange color?? And if the unsulphured fruit has a better flavor, I think the answer is a no brainer.
Also an important thing to note - sulphur dioxide can be very harmful to individuals (especially children) who have asthma and food sensitivities in general. The organic, natural way of eating is the way to go once again...and that means avoiding foods that have been sulphurized.
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I had wondered about this too! I got the impression sulfer was bad, but had not done my research. Thanks for doing it and sharing!
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