Sometimes the convenience of fast food comes with a list of seriously inconvenient side effects. From low-quality hot dog ingredients to rosy pink bacon, the industry is coming under closer scrutiny. Indeed, there are a number of ingredients that should send you running when eating at your favorite fast joint. One of the most concerning among them has to be potassium bromate, a chemical that is banned in various countries including Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, the European Union and the United Kingdom. The appeal of potassium bromate is that it promotes greater rising potential in flour products, which many companies make use of despite the alarming health risks.
In an increasingly health conscious world, there is some research that is encouraging many to stay clear of potassium bromate. The chemical is commonly added to baked goods and has shown to be a potential human carcinogen linked to health complications including tumors, thyroid issues, kidney damage, oxidative stress, and renal cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t posed any caution to regulate or ban the use of potassium bromate in foods, and the research that informed the decision doesn’t appear to have been updated since the 1960s when it was first approved.
The controversy of potassium bromate in well-known products
Potassium bromate has been used in food for decades due to the belief that when baked (i.e. heated), it converts into potassium bromide, which is not carcinogenic. Yet research from across the globe has instead suggested that this oxidizing agent raises some serious red flags, including damaging metabolic changes. EWG released a lengthy list of products that contain potassium bromate, including Tastee Choice Orange Chicken, Wheat Bran Bread, Golden Krust Hard Dough Bread, Palagonia Sliced Italian Bread, and more.
So far, California is the only U.S. state to require cautionary warnings on foods containing potassium bromate so that residents are aware of the risks. The state has placed the chemical on its Proposition 65 list, which is an indicator that must be visible on packaging to show that the product may cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Beyond this, the Food Chemical Reassessment Act of 2021 sets out to advocate for better regulation in food products, with a call for examination of items that haven’t been updated in decades, as is the case with potassium bromate. There are 10 chemicals that have been pushed to the top of the list for immediate consideration, and potassium bromate is among them.
