Scores of common baked goods contain potassium bromate, a possible cancer-causing additive, according to a new analysis by Environmental Working Group. The nonprofit agency found the chemical in 86 breads and other baked goods, including such well-known products as Hormel Foods breakfast sandwiches, Weis Kaiser rolls and French toast, and Goya turnover pastry dough.
The analysis, titled “Potassium Bromate: Was Your Bread Baked with Flour Containing a Possible Cancer-Causing Additive?,” details the potential health problems associated with this ingredient. EWG included this ingredient in its “Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives” in November 2014, which highlighted 12 additives to avoid.
Potassium bromate is added to flour to firm up the dough, help it rise and give the finished bread a fresh white color. However, it has been linked in animal studies to cancer and tumors. Research also has shown that it can damage genetic material in human liver and intestinal cells, causing “breaks in DNA strands and chromosomal damage,” according to EWG’s analysis.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Los Angeles Times
