What’s in your Bread?

Potassium bromate (bromated flour) is found in bread products and used as a flour improver to strengthen the dough and allow higher rising of the bread. Potassium bromate has been classified as a category 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.  For this reason, Potassium bromate was banned from use in food products in the European Union, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, South Korea, Peru, China, and India.  However, it has not been banned in the US, and California is the only state requiring a warning label on bread when it is an ingredient in the bread.  

So think about how much bread or flour containing products (cake, cookies, cereals, etc) you eat everyday?  So how do we avoid it?  You have to look at the ingredient label on the bread: if it contains potassium bromate or bromated flour you will want to look for a different brand to avoid consuming this additive.  If you want to learn more, see this website review: EWG & Potassium Bromate in Bread