Potassium bromate in same cancer class as coffee

According to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment, 84% of 34 bread types sold in India contain potassium bromate, a carcinogen. Potassium bromate is the chemical additive widely prevalent in bread and refined flour.

• Following this, food regulator FSSAI said it has decided to remove potassium bromate from the list of permitted additives.

Background:

A 1982 study in Japan stated that potassium bromate causes cancer. Following this, many countries including Japan, UK, China and Australian banned this compound.

What is Potassium Bromate and how it works?

It is added to wheat flour to strengthen the dough and to allow it to rise higher. It bleaches the dough and increases its elasticity by making tiny bubbles that help the bread rise.

• However, the real problem arises when bromate flour isn’t baked for long enough or at a high enough temperature, or if too much potassium bromate is added in the first place.

Health impacts:

• The chemical is said to cause renal tubular tumours (adenomas and carcinomas) thyroid follicular tumours peritoneal mesotheliomas in laboratory animals.
• Also, long-term carcinogenicity studies and in vivo and in vitro mutagenicity studies showed that potassium bromate was a “genotoxic carcinogen” or a chemical agent that damaged genetic information, causing mutations.