Potassium bromate is a white crystal powder, powerful oxidizing agent, and one of the cheapest dough improvers. It was patented in 1914 for use in baking bread. It is considered a “slow acting” oxidizer so works great during the mixing, fermentation, and proofing stages of the baking process. Here in the United States it is used as a flour improver which strengthens the dough allowing it to rise higher. It gives the bread an appealing white color also. The challenge is that it may be carcinogenic which definitely is not a good thing. It is classified as a 2B carcinogen which means it could possibly cause cancer in humans.
The following countries have banned the use of potassium bromate in foods: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, South Korea, Peru, Sir Lanka, China, India, United Kingdom, and the countries of the European Union. Yet, the United States still allows its use. The FDA has urged bakers to voluntarily stop using it. California does require that any products that have potassium bromate to be labeled as a carcinogenic substance.
Potential risks include:
- Lab animals exposed to potassium bromate had an increase in the incidence of benign and malignant tumors of the thyroid, kidney, and peritoneum (membrane that lines the abdominal cavity).
- It may disrupt the genetic material within cells.
Where is potassium bromate found?
The FDA allows potassium bromate in food as long as it doesn’t exceed 750 parts per million. It can be found in bread, flours, pizza dough, buns, and pretty much anything that would contain flour. The Environmental Working Group has a list of 86 food items that contain potassium bromate; check it out here. Many companies that still use bromated flour claim that the bromate is converted to bromide during the baking process. Potassium bromide is non-carcinogenic. The challenge is that this requires specific protocol to make sure all the bromate is converted. If the flour isn’t baked long enough or at high enough of a temperature, bromate can remain in the product. This can also happen if too much is used in the first place. Testing of finished bread products has shown that potassium bromate can still be present in the finished product.
Many bakeries have voluntarily stopped using potassium bromate such as Pepperidge Farm, Pillsbury, and Best Foods, Inc. Ascorbic acid has been used as a replacement product for potassium bromate.
What to do to avoid potassium bromate.
- Read the labels of bread, pizza dough, buns, and any commercial product that uses flour. Avoid anything that has potassium bromate or bromated flour listed as an ingredient.
- Purchase organic if possible as potassium bromate is not allowed in organic products.
A couple of companies that sell unbromated flour include King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill.
With all the chemicals that we are exposed to today, our bodies have to work very hard to eliminate toxins from our systems. By choosing not to consume as many of these toxins as possible is a great way to invest in your health. If you consume bread or bread products, this is definitely one additive you may want to avoid.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
Thank you for all your hard work to educate us on harmful items that most of us are unaware of. Doctors most likely will not tell you, or do not know how harmful these hidden chemicals are to our bodies!
Patty, You are welcome! Knowledge is power in all areas of our lives; and if we don’t have our health, it is difficult to live a productive life. All the little things we can do to improve our health can add up to huge rewards. Be blessed.