Nearly 84 per cent of 38 commonly available brands of pre- packaged breads, including pav and buns, tested positive for Potassium Bromate and Potassium Iodate, banned in many countries as they are listed as “hazardous” for public health, as per a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released on Monday.
Both chemicals are used as flour treatment agents, said the study based on analysis of 38 samples of bread, including varieties of white bread, brown bread, sandwich bread, multigrain bread, pav buns, and ready-to-eat burger and pizza bread.
The use of Potassium Bromate — classified as a category 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans) — is banned in most countries. Also, Potassium Iodate, which contributes to thyroid-related diseases, was found. The group has now recommended an immediate ban on these two chemicals.
The study, conducted by CSE’s Pollution Monitoring laboratory (PMl), said Indian bread manufacturers use Potassium Bromate and Potassium Iodate for treating flour while making bread. The PMl tested 38 commonly available branded varieties of pre-packaged breads of popular fast food outlets like Nirula’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Subway and McDonald’s.
“We found 84 per cent samples positive with potassium Bromate/Iodate. We re-confirmed the presence of Potassium Bromate/Iodate in a few samples through an external third-party laboratory. We checked labels and talked to industry and scientists. Our study confirms the widespread use of Potassium Bromate/Iodate as well as presence of Bromate/Iodate residues in the final product,” said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE and head of the CSE lab.
‘Possibly carcinogenic to humans’ In 1999, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified Potassium Bromate as possibly carcinogenic (cancer causing) to humans. It was found to cause tumours of the kidney, thyroid and cancer of the abdominal lining in laboratory animals.
Considering Potassium Bromate as a ‘genotoxic carcinogen’, the JECFA (WHO/FAO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives) in 1992 said that “use of Potassium Bromate as a flour treatment agent was not appropriate”. The EU banned its use in 1990 and so did the UK. Subsequently, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Sri lanka, Brazil, Nigeria, Peru and Columbia also decided to ban its usage.
“Globally, Potassium Bromate was allowed to be used on the assumption that the Bromate residues would not be present in the end product. This assumption failed across the world. Residues were being detected even after reducing the allowed limits of use and therefore, countries started banning it. Our study confirms that residues of Potassium Bromate are present in bread sold in India,” Bhushan pointed out.
Under ideal baking conditions, Bromate converts into Bromide which is harmless. However, this does not seem to happen in practice. While there is not much labelling required on non-packaged fast foods, pre-packaged products have to disclose the flour treatment agent used.