How can you eliminate sulfites from alcoholic beverages

[Netnutz]

Does anyone know how to eliminate sulfites from alcoholic beverages? I was told years ago something about adding a few drops of peroxide to a drink, wine, beer, etc. Of course, if you start adding drops of anything to a drink people will suspect you are trying to poison someone! :) I could try something at home if anyone has any ideas. Thanks!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

All wines contain sulfites, because yeast naturally produces sulfite compounds during the fermentation process, and without sulfites, wine would spoil and oxidize. White wine has more sulfites than red wine.

Foods may legally contain sulfites at levels ranging from 6 to 6,000 parts per million. The legal maximum for wine is 350 ppm, but the average content in premium wine is under 40 ppm. Inexpensive wines generally have higher sulfur content than expensive wines. There are no wines that are entirely sulfite-free, even those labeled "organic".
http://www.winepros.org/wine101/wine-health.htm

So possibility of eliminating sulfites from wine is rare.

Take care and regards.

[Dr Smitha Mathews]

Hi,

Addition of hydrogen peroxide to wines has been known to reduce the sulphite content of wine. However, the method has been patented and is not available.

All wines contain sulphites as they are part of the fermentation process. But, Australian wines are purported to have lesser amount of sulphites or may even be free of sulphites as they are manufactured with a different method and usually use sulphur dioxide in place of metabisulphite.

Organic wines, in most countries, do not contain added sulphites. In the US, even organic wines may contain sulphites and you should look for the label 'no added sulphites to pick wine to which additional sulphites have not been added.
Additionally, white wines contain more sulphites than red wine.

Do keep us posted.