Fall is the perfect season for a warm bowl of soup and a thick slice of crusty bread. Want some potassium bromate with that?
EWG has just released a list of 86 baked goods that contain this additive. Apparently it gives the bread a nice color and helps it rise. But it comes at a cost– according to EWG:
“In 1999 the International Agency for Research on Cancer determined that potassium bromate is a possible human carcinogen. It is not allowed for use or is banned as a food additive in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and the European Union. The state of California requires food with potassium bromate to carry a warning label.
Yet another example of how the U.S. is falling behind in protecting public health, and is becoming a dumping ground for additives, food colorings, and harmful products.
Researchers say that most of the additive is cooked out in the baked process, but not always. This additive has been on the questionable list since reports came out linking it to tumor growth in rats back in 1999.
Thankfully, the additive is prohibited at Whole Foods and is being phased out at Panera. Here is a link to the 86 companies and products that continue to use the chemical. Most California bakeries have stopped using the additive as well, as a result of the labeling law. See the power of that law? More families are protected from exposures in that state. That is why is is so important to let states keep their progress on regulating toxics even if there is national reform of how we regulate (or mostly don’t) harmful chemicals in commerce.
You can read more about it at EWG’s report and sign a petition to the FDA to take action to remove this additive. What do you think? Will you check this list for products you might buy and serve your family?
image: JMTdad on Flickr under CC
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