A pantry review

So what are sulphites (or sulfites US spelling) and what is sulphite sensitivity? This pdf from the The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) provides a nice, clear explanation. 

Yesterday I went through my pantry. I knew I had some things with sulphites in there - like vinegar - but with some extra time on my hands I thought I would do a proper review.  The problem is that not everything is labelled as containing sulphites like this vinegar:

 

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
"Contains naturally occurring sulphites"

So if it's not labelled, does that mean that it is sulphite free?  Not necessarily. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons not all products are labelled. And the labels can vary. 

This is where Dr Google can drive you mad.  The lists available are long and diverse. There is even one website that recommends avoiding tap water and certain bottled water!!!  So while I am extremely determined to fix my allergy once and for all - I'm not prepared to sacrifice my sanity :-) 

 So I have chosen two websites. The one I mentioned before with the pdf from ASCIA and also fedup.com.au which has a longer list but seems reasonable. This website focusses on food additives and provides a wealth of information particularly for parents.

So based on this information I started to sort out my pantry.  Here is some examples of what I discovered:

Coles Basil Pesto
"Glucose Syrup" is listed in the ingredients which is on the list!

Masterfoods Garlic Powder
"Contains naturally occurring Sulphites" 

Dried Goji Berries
"May contain traces of sulphites"

Homebrand Fine Desiccated Coconut
"Contains Sulphites" I'd realised this earlier so I'd bought the Willowvale Organic
Dessicated Coconut which doesn't list Sulphites. However - I think I'll avoid both as
how else does the Coconut stay white?

So after going through my little pantry, here is everything that I can't have... at the moment. To the back of the very top shelf they go!