(NEurope) - On 21 December, the European Commission announced that the so2say project, led by ttz Bremerhaven has found an alternative to adding sulphur dioxide to red wine and other foodstuffs. Sulphur dioxide (SO2), labelled E220 on food packets, is used as a preservative for particular dried fruits and in winemaking as an antimicrobial and antioxidant. Most people can tolerate a small amount of SO2 in their food but there is a minority who suffers from allergic reactions or other after effects such as headaches, when consuming it. The so2say project, announced to the Commission that it may have identified a combination of two extracts that can replace SO2. Both of them occur naturally in wine.