Now they are coming for your bagels. We are not kidding. A bill passed in April and now waiting to be signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul would ban a chemical food additive used to make bagels — and pizza crust — chewy and more stretchable.
The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act would ban potassium bromate in food, along with propylparaben and Red Dye No. 3. As described by Julia Moskin in The New York Times this week, bromated flour makes dough springy, elastic, and more consistent, but it also causes cancer.
Bromated flours are kind of a cheat code for bagel bakers, allowing them to produce a customer-pleasing product at a very digestible price point. Alternative flours are more expensive and require skilled workers to produce similar results, also adding to the cost. Propylparaben, also facing a ban, is a hormone disruptor used to extend the shelf life of packaged foods, including tortillas and cinnamon buns. It is also common in makeup, shampoo, and many ointments and creams. Propylparaben and its related class of chemicals can disrupt estrogen levels and may have a connection to elevated rates of breast cancer.
If we were to bet, our money would be on the governor vetoing the bill. In an election year, it is doubtful that Ms. Hochul would want to be accused of taking away New Yorkers’ squishy bagels and pizza crusts. Even if her answer is no, the Legislature should put the measure back on her desk. In the meantime, consumers might want to ask if their favorite bagel joint uses bromated flour — and look more closely at the ingredients in the products they put on their faces.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, bromate was first found to cause tumors in rats in 1982. Subsequent studies confirmed that it causes tumors of the kidney, thyroid, and other organs in rodents. Breast cancer rates are considered above the norm on Long Island; it is a provoking possibility that some of our favorite foods may be in part responsible. New York State Department of Health data show cancer as the second leading cause of death after heart disease, with more than 110,000 New Yorkers diagnosed annually and up to 35,000 who die of it.
Internationally, the risks are known. Bromated flour has been banned in the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Brazil, Peru, China, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. South Africa is in the process of phasing it out. The Food and Drug Administration has urged bakers to stop using potassium bromate since 1991 but has stopped short of enacting a total prohibition. At present, only California has taken a definitive step by requiring warning labels on bromated products.