Certain Flours Banned at Grocery Stores Begins in New York State Immediately
New York State has immediately passed a ban on certain flours that are sold and used in the state.
Bakeries, pizzerias and restaurants will now have to figure out an alternative if they are using this flour in New York State as it has become a popular health discussion in the past recent years. Other states have already banned potassium bromate from being put in flours.
Think of potassium bromate as conditioner for your flour.
Potassium bromate is added to a lot of flours because it helps with the constancy and strength of doughs. For example, if a pizzeria is making dough in 80 degrees vs. 40 degrees, the doughs would potentially be a lot different when preparing and cooking without the potassium bromate.
Now, experts are saying that potassium bromate is very, very bad for you.
New York state Sen. Brian Kavanagh, who sponsored the state Senate version of the bill, said, “Today, in spite of an onslaught of misinformation from the food industry, we are taking a critical step toward protecting New Yorkers from having to guess what potentially harmful chemicals might be lurking in the food we eat.”
It is kind of scary to think what chemicals and ingredients companies can get into our foods that we buy and consume, before they are flagged for being 'bad' for you. Nobody checks ahead of time?
What are the side effects of potassium bromate? According to PubMed Central:
Chronic exposure may lead to cancer (kidney, thyroid, peritoneal tumors), kidney failure, and hearing loss. Acute, high-dose ingestion causes severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and potential nervous system damage.
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