Potassium bromate
Q. Which of the following is/are true about Potassium Bromate?
1) Potassium bromate is a category 2B carcinogen.
2) Potassium bromate increases dough strength, leads to higher rising and uniform finish to baked products
3) Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) permits them up to 50 parts per million.- Published on 26 May 16a. 1, 3
b. 1, 2
c. 2, 3
d. All of the above
ANSWER: All of the above
- Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) permits them up to 50 parts per million.
- Potassium bromate and Potassium iodate can be used as treating agents in flour under the category of food additives. They are used to give the final product a soft, fluffy finish.
- 2A and 2B which include potassium bromate and coffee —differentiates between agents ‘probably’ and ‘possibly’ associated with cancer.
- It is recognised as a category 2B carcinogen since 1999 which means it is believed to be “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Its use had been permitted earlier because it was believed that the chemical was filtered out of the final product. However, once evidence to the contrary emerged in the 1990s many countries banned it, including the EU (1990) and the UK.
