New Delhi: The use of potassium bromate as a food additive in bread and buns has been banned by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). a study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that its presence in bread causes cancer.
The CSE study had found that 84 per cent breads and buns available in the market contained potassium bromate and potassium iodate which cause cancer. Even though these two food additives are banned in many countries, India took a long time put them under scanner.
For now, potassium iodate has not been banned.
The CSE report said, “International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has found it( Potassium bromate) as a possibly carcinogenic to humans…Potassium bromate has been banned from use in food products in the EU, Canada, Nigeria, Brazil, South Korea, Peru and some other countries. It was banned in Sri Lanka in 2001 and in China in 2005.”
