Potassium Bromate is one prime example of an additive that is allowed in the United States, but is banned in other countries. Places such as China, Canada, and the European Union have prohibited potassium bromate for many reasons. For example, studies have shown that this additive in particular has been linked to help cause kidney damage, tumors, cancer, as well as damage to the nervous system. Any "normal" human being would suspect that for these reasons alone, most people would not use this additive. However, America continues on using potassium bromate as just another step in their process of making the bread that is sold throughout their country. The United States' reasoning for using such an additive is that it holds the dough together, while also making it easier for the bread to rise to a higher level than normal. America's main goal is to make sure that most of the potassium bromate cooks out of the bread as the dough bakes; however, not all of it does, and any amount that is ingested can be harmful to the human body. Although it may seem a bit surreal that a country could ignore the fact that the health of their citizens is now more endangered, it still happens. So as an American citizen, does that mean that we can still rely on and trust the F.D.A. if they have yet to band something that is so dangerous for humans to have? One would suspect not.
I know that to me this becomes personal when I think back to how I lost my best pal, Ally the dog, to kidney failure. You never really think that something like that could happen until it does. With that being said, it actually makes me a bit upset that our own F.D.A. would play around with such a serious condition; allowing such an additive to be placed in our food. In all, it makes me a bit ashamed that I have eaten the bread from my local grocery-store.
To find out more about how potassium bromate is being used in bread within the U.S., click on the following link.: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/professional/bromate.html
This post was very informative and pointed a few pretty frightening facts. Not only is it outrageous that the United States is continuing to use a known carcinogen as an ingredient in bread, it is also terrifying that the additive is being used in such a common food. Bread must be one of the most uniformly consumed foods in the entire country, meaning that as we eat we are being subjected to potassium bromate on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteAn aspect of this post that was not surprising to me is the reason America continues to use potassium bromate in its bread. Based on this article, subjecting citizens to an additive that can give them tumors has somehow become an acceptable action. When did "higher-rising" bread become more important than the health and safety of the people in our nation? Does this mean that parents are sending their kindergarteners to school with a PB&J sandwhich laced with a carcinogen? This country really needs to straighten out its priorities, and I am entirely okay with having flatter bread instead of kidney damage.
This was an excellent post and it really put the situation into perspective.