Potassium Bromate Health and Legislation

Potassium bromate had been used as a flour treatment agent for over 80 years. It is a powerful oxidising agent and it became known that it is carcinogenic. 

Initially, potassium bromate was assumed to react completely on baking. However, testing revealed that traces of it survived in to the finished product. 

After 1990 the British government changed the law to remove potassium bromate from bread. This move was logical in the circumstances. It was convenient because most of the EU did not permit potassium bromate and its continued use in British flour was a bar to enter EU trade. 

At the time of writing, the USA still permits the use of potassium bromate. It remains to been seen how much longer this use continues. 

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