Some of the same preservatives, flavors and colors that cause allergy when eaten also cause skin reactions when touched – especially in cooks, bakers and homemakers who handle large amounts of food daily.

One doctor, for example, found that hand eczema in a salad chef was due to sodium bisulfate – which, like metabisulfite, is used in many restaurants to prevent browning of fruits and vegetables (see table below for some ingredients that commonly cause skin reactions).

It's not unheard of for fruit and fruit juices, vegetables and uncooked meat to irritate the skin, aggravating allergic, hands. If your hands are inflamed, avoid direct contact with the juice of onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, citrus fruits and raw meat.

Food Ingredients That May Cause Skin Reactions Upon Contact

Not all the foods in the Common Food Source category contain the additives they're matched up with, but there’s a good chance they might. To know for sure, you have to read labels and do the type of additive finding detective work described in Keeping a Food Diary.

Additive	Common Food Source
Artificial colors Benzoyl peroxide Gum Arabic (acacia) Karaya Lanolin Nickel Parabens (preservatives) Sodium bisulfite Vanillin	Many foods Flour Creams and cheese Candy, pastry and other confections Chewing gum Hydrogenated fats Tomato, meat and fish products, pickles, relishes, sauces Fruit and vegetables Artificial flavors

Source: Contact Dermatitis, by Alexander A. Fisher