Page 22 - October 2023
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Reading the Labels
The Hidden Dangers Lurking
in Your Everyday Bread
Bread, a staple of diets across the world for Research suggests that potassium
millennia, has evolved significantly over bromate may pose health risks, as it has
the years. Modern grocery store shelves been shown to cause kidney, thyroid, and
are now lined with a multitude of bread gastrointestinal cancer in animals.
options, from classic loaves to artisanal
creations. However, amidst the variety 2. Ammonium Sulfate: From Floor
and convenience, there are often hidden Cleaner to Bread Ingredient
dangers that lurk in the ingredients used to Yes, you read that correctly – ammonium
make that bread you pick up at your local sulfate is an ingredient in some bread
store. Let’s delve into some of the harmful products, and it shares a common element
ingredients found in bread and why they with household floor cleaners, ammonia.
deserve your attention. The idea of consuming something used
for cleaning purposes is unsettling. It’s
1. Potassium Bromate: Speeding Up worth noting that even popular fast-food
Production, But at What Cost? chains like Subway have used ammonium
Potassium bromate is an oxidizing agent sulfate in their 9-grain wheat bread.
used in bread production to strengthen Gastrointestinal effects of this ingredient
dough and reduce baking time. While can include nausea, vomiting, and severe
this may sound beneficial for the abdominal pain. It is also said that contact
manufacturers by saving time and money, of ammonium sulfate with the skin or
it raises concerns about its safety for eyes can cause irritation, redness, itching,
consumers. The United States allows the and pain. Yet, it is somehow snuck
use of potassium bromate in bread, but into our bread to assist yeast growth
many countries, including Canada, the and survival. As consumers, we should
European Union, Brazil, South Korea, advocate for transparency and healthier
and China, have banned this additive. alternatives in the food we consume.
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