The state of "California" has called for the necessity to ban a number of "food additives," foremost among them potassium bromate, a chemical commonly used in the food industry that helps bind dough and improve the texture of baked goods.

"Potassium bromate" is used in the manufacture of many food products and is usually added to bread dough, rolls, and other baked goods and other products, to help the "dough" mature, raise its texture, and make it more cohesive. However, it is controversial due to its expected health hazards, according to a report published by the "Eating Well" website, about the world of food additives.

In this context, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified it as a potential carcinogen to humans, meaning it may increase the risk of cancer in humans. Despite this classification, potassium bromate is legally used in food manufacturing in many countries, including the United States.

Nutrition expert Kelsey Konik revealed: "Potassium bromate has been found to increase the risk of cancer in animals and acts as a free radical, causing damage to the liver and human intestinal cells. Studies have shown that many baked goods contain unsafe levels of potassium bromate."

Konik pointed out that data show that a number of baked goods contain doses exceeding the allowable limit set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is 50 milligrams per kilogram.

Foods containing potassium bromate

The list of foods containing potassium bromate includes the following:

• Bread

• Bagel bread

• Crackers

• Donuts

• English muffins

• Pastries

• Pizza dough

• Tortilla

• Waffles

The "nutrition expert" confirmed that bakers who handle large amounts of potassium bromate suffer from symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal and gastrointestinal pain, and irritation, and although the exact amounts that can lead to cancer are unknown.

Laboratory studies have also concluded that potassium bromate converts into oxides and free radicals in the body, which may cause damage to DNA and chromosomes, with the extent of the damage directly affected by the amount of potassium bromate consumed.

Safe alternatives to potassium bromate