Potassium bromate banned for use in baked foods in California!

Food additives are present in every processed and packaged food we buy and consume. But studies on their long term safety are limited. Potassium bromate is one such food additive that the State of California recently banned. What is this chemical? How was it used? Why is it unsafe for health?

Potassium bromate

Potassium bromate is a common food additive that the food industry used in many of their products. This chemical strengthens the dough and it also improves the texture of the resulting baked foods. This compound is used in many bakery products such as breads, rolls etc. to give the dough a higher rise. This causes the bread and baked goods to have a better texture than those that do not have potassium bromate in it.

But this chemical can potentially cause health problems in the consumer. The appearance of the baked food might be good but it is hazardous for health. There is a controversy on its use and antagonists of the ingredient wanted it to be banned.

Health issues

Potassium bromate is a food additive but the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as s possible human carcinogen. It can increase the risk of cancer in humans. Yet its use is not regulated in the world. And it is still legal for use in the USA. But now, the State of California woke up and has decided to ban it’s use in edibles. Dietitian Kelsey Kunik says:

“Potassium bromate has been found to [increase risk of] cancer in animals and act as a free radical, causing oxidative damage in lab studies with human liver and intestinal cells,”

“Studies have shown many baked breads contain unsafe levels of potassium bromate.”

Kelsey is the nutrition advisor for Fin vs Fin. The Food and Drug Administration has put the threshold dose of this chemical at 50 milligrams per kilogram. But baked foods contain more of these and are thus unfit to eat. More studies in humans will clarify the picture.

Problems in bakers

The bakers using this product also have some health issues of the gut. Kelsey reveals:

“Bakers who come into contact with too much potassium bromate may experience symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal and digestive tract pain and irritation,”

“While it’s unknown the exact amounts that [might] lead to cancer, lab studies show that potassium bromate converts to oxides and free radicals in the body, which can damage DNA and chromosomes, with the amount of damage directly affected by the amount of potassium bromate ingested.”

EU members Canada, Brazil and China has banned it’s use in food. In the USA, it’s mention in the ingredients list on the label is mandatory. But many consumers are unaware of this product and it’s potential to cause cancer.

Read here: Barbecuing meat: how to reduce cancer risk?

However, the use of this compound is unnecessary and bakers can do away with it. In its place, safer substitutes exist such as ascorbic acid and enzymes. They can use them for similar results.