The Toxic Food Additive In Bread You Didn’t Know You Were Eating…And How To Avoid It

The use of Potassium Bromate in the bread making process is wide spread within the United States; however, it has been banned in several other countries.

It is used to allow dough to rise further than normally possible while strengthening it. The IARC, or International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified potassium bromate as being a possible carcinogenic risk to humans and placed it in the 2B carcinogen category.

Brazil; China; Canada; the United Kingdom; and European Union have all prohibited the use of this chemical compound. via TakePart

Potassium Bromate Uses

The practice of using potassium bromate was patented because it was found to dramatically speed up the mixing process as well as produce stronger dough and make bread whiter.

Here’s Why It Got Banned…

The Division of Toxicology at the National Institute of Hygienic Sciences in Tokyo, Japan revealed that potassium bromate does produce carcinogenic effects.

This study was the precursor for the banning of the chemical compound in countries spanning the globe. The United States is an exception and has issued only regulations for the commercial use of “bromated flour.”

California is the only state that regulates potassium bromate, requiring a Prop. 65-mandated warning label on food containing it. via LaTimes

The USDA Still Allows The Use Of Potassium Bromate

The USDA mandate says that enriched flour cannot contain more than 25 potassium bromate parts per billion in the finished product.

This may only be achieved by baking it above certain temperatures and for a specific amount of time.

If these are not strictly controlled, the product result may exceed this mandate and contain harmful quantities of this ingredient.

Today, many small and commercial bakeries voluntarily avoid using bromated flour. However, it’s still found in many fast food buns, pizza crusts and some flours, among other products.

Scientific Substantiation

Experiments were performed by the Environmental Carcinogenesis Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in North Carolina to determine the carcinogenic effects of potassium bromate when used to disinfect drinking water through ozonation.

The results demonstrated risks for both kidney and thyroid cancer as well as the mesothelium and renal region within male subjects. The same study resulted in the following incidences:

• Renal cell polyps developed around the 52nd week mark of administration within those fed increased doses.
• Mesotheliomas were found at the same time mark of treatment on the serous membrane of the testes.
• After the 78th week mark mesotheliomas developed in other areas and it is believed those in the testicular region metastasized to the new sites.
• Thyroid follicular polyps developed in one subject as soon as the 26th week.

Avoid Potassium Bromate

The best method for eliminating this toxic ingredient from your diet is to read your food labels. Be on the lookout for the words “bromated flour” and “potassium bromate.”

In addition, here’s a list of 86 products containing potassium bromate that you should try to avoid:

Amello’s Italian Style Raspberry Drop Cookies
Amon’s Kosher Deep Dish Pizza
Busken, Tea Cookies
Canadian Home Style Pizza Cheesy Veggie
Canadian Home Style Pizza Fluffy & Cripsy
Caribbean Food Delights Mild Beef Patties
Chopsie’s Pizza Rolls
Dockside Classic Crab & Cheese Bites
Dockside Classics Crab Cakes
Dockside Classics Lobster Cakes
Fresh Daily Easter Bun
Fresh Daily Inc. Spice Fruit Bun
Fresh Daily Nutmeg Bread
Fresh Daily Round Spice Bun
Fried Garlic Sticks
Fried Sticks Palitos Lemon
Galletas Paloma Castilla Crackers
Giovanni’s Kaiser Italian Rolls
Golden Krust Fresh Traditional Style Whole
Golden Krust Hard Dough Bread
Golden Krust Jamaican Style Chicken Patties
Golden Krust Spice Bun
Goya Dough For Turnover Pastries
Harrington’s Amish Style Handmade Egg Noodles (2)
Home Like Hard Rolls
Hormel Bacon Egg & Cheese in Deli Bagel
Hormel Black Label Breakfast Sandwiches
Imperial Garden Pork Egg Rolls
J.T.M Chicken Philly Cheese Steak Kit 4 Complete Sandiwiches
J.T.M Meatball Sub Kit
J2 Broadway’s Gourmet Pizza
La Bayamesa Corn Muffins
La Bayamesa Pineapple Filled Pastry
La Fe Chicken Croquettes
La Fe Tropical Crackers
La Gustosa Tortelli With Cheese
La Rosa’s Hoagy Rolls
Larosa’s Meatballs
Lemon Spicy Sticks
Longo’s Pizza Crusts
Longo’s Sicilian Pizza Crust
Lucca’s Italian Rolls
Mary’s Bakery Guava Bread
Mary’s Bakery Sweet Bread
Minardi Round Bread
Minardi’s French Mini Bread
Murry’s French Toast Bites Cinnamon Blast
New York Flatbread Everything
New York Flatbread Sesame (2)
New York Flatbreads Garlic (2)
Palagonia 6 Mini Hero’s
Palagonia French Bread
Palagonia Italian Bread (2)
Palagonia Panino Italiano
Palagonia Rolls
Palagonia Sliced Heros
Palagonia Sliced Italian Bread
Pao Ge Milho Apple Cake
Pierino Jumbo Shells With Cheese
Pierino Manicotti With Cheese
Racine Bakery Pumpernickel
Racine Bakery Sunflower Rye Bread
Rico Original Discos, Dough For Turnover Pastries
Rico Original Grandes
Royal Caribbean Bakery Hard Dough Bread (2)
Scotto’s Gourmet Cookies
Sibstar Bread Farmers
Sibstar Bread White Wheat
Stern’s 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Super Cakes Milk Bread
Super Craft Milk Bread
Tastee Choice Chicken Parmigiana and Penne Pasta
Tastee Choice, Orange Chicken
Terranova Bakery Pane Di Casa
Terranova Bakery Plain Friselle
Terranova Bakery Wheat Bread
The Bakery Bacon Mini Pastries Kolacky Cream Cheese
Tony Luke’s Chicken Cheesesteak
Tony Luke’s Roast Pork Sandwiches
Triana Almond Cake
Triana Pineapple Cake
Tudor Bakery Biscotti Almond
We Are The Finest! Odessa White Bread
Weis Enriched Rolls Kaiser (2)
Weis French Toast Bites Cinnamon
Wheat Bran Bread