Potassium bromate is a possible human carcinogen that is added to the flour of many packaged baked goods, including white breads, rolls, and other baked goods made from dough. It is used to strengthen dough and allow it to rise higher, which makes the finished product fluffier and more appealing. Despite health concerns, potassium bromate is legal for use in the U.S., and the FDA hasn’t reviewed it since at least 1973. Many companies that still use bromated flour claim that the bromate is converted to bromide during the baking process, which is non-carcinogenic. However, this requires specific protocol to make sure all the bromate is converted, and if too much is used in the first place or if the flour isn’t baked long enough or at high enough of a temperature, bromate can remain in the product.
Here are some examples of food products that may contain potassium bromate:
- Best Choice Wheat Sliced Bread
- Gomez Flour Tortillas
- Hy Vee Blueberry Crisp
- Balduccis Sugar Cookies
- Hormel Foods breakfast sandwiches
- Weis Kaiser rolls and French toast
- Goya turnover pastry dough
- Simple bread
- French bread
To avoid potassium bromate, it is recommended to purchase natural-brand processed foods that don’t contain it and to check labels on processed foods.
