Allergen card
Free sulfite allergy card
A sulfite card should mention wine, dried fruit, pickled items, and processed potatoes, which menus almost never flag.
How to use this card
Sulfites are a restaurant communication problem because they are a preservative, not a food. Staff may not know which wines, dried fruits, pickled vegetables, or frozen potato products contain them.
The card should ask the manager, not only the server, and name wine, vinegar-heavy pickles, dried fruit in salads, and packaged potato mixes. Those are the items most likely to be sulfited.
This is not medical advice about whether you have a sulfite sensitivity. It is a way to put the request in writing so someone can check labels in the kitchen instead of guessing.
Sulfites restaurants forget to mention
Wine and some beers
Ask the manager which bottles are lower-sulfite if you drink, or skip alcohol if you cannot get a clear answer.
Dried fruit
Salad kits and dessert garnishes often use sulfited dried fruit.
Pickled and preserved foods
Pickles, olives, and some jarred peppers use sulfites as a preservative.
Potato products
Frozen fries and mashed-potato mixes can include sulfites. Confirm packaged items.
Questions about this card
- Will restaurant staff know what sulfites are?
- Often no. The card should name the foods and ask someone to check labels. A manager is usually more useful than a server here.
- Is this the same as a wine allergy?
- No. Wine is one common source. The card is about the preservative, which also appears in dried and packaged foods.
- Can I translate a sulfite card?
- Yes. Choose a language in the generator. In some languages you may want to show the English word “sulfites” as well, because kitchens recognize the English term from labels.
A card helps you communicate. It does not guarantee a meal is free from an allergen. Confirm ingredients, preparation, and cross-contact with restaurant staff, and follow the emergency plan from your healthcare professional.