Use of potassium bromate in baking dangerous — FDB warns

Backpage Saturday November 29 2008
THE Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has identified an adulterant in yeast used by bakers to enlarge the size of bread, which causes cancer in the human body.
The adulterant, which is known as potassium bromate, has been identified as being dangerous to the human health.
The deliberate contamination of food materials with low quality, cheap, non-edible or toxic (poisonous) substance or the act of adding or mixing something inferior, harmful, useless and unnecessary to food is known as food adulteration.
The acting head of the Food Inspectorate Department of the FDB, Mr Kofi Essel, who disclosed this at a meeting with stakeholders in the baking industry, said that bakers often used this cancerous substance as an addictive to flour.
The substance, he noted, had long been banned in a lot of countries, including Canada, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Peru, Ghana and all over Europe, but due to greed and ignorance some bakers continued to use it, although they have persistently been prohibited from using it.
"Some of them disregard our regulatory requirement, which is key to ensuring that the health of consumers are not put in jeopardy through food adulteration," he added.
Mr Essel said when samples of flour were collected and tested, potassium bromate was not contained in them but it “mysteriously appeared in the bread”.
“This is very alarming, particularly when the bread baker does not know what potassium bromate is but continuously adds it to the bread,” he added.
He said the use of potassium bromate by bakers had become increasingly worrying in the baking industry, adding that “due to our tiring work schedules, we all eat outside and if much care is not taken, we might all die of carelessness”.
Mr Essel said most bakers used adulterants for various reasons, some of which were meant to reduce the manufacturing cost of the bread, increase weight, make the food appear better, conceal inferiority, as well as for some deceptive or malicious purposes.
He said studies had shown that most persons adulterating food were conscious of their actions, but added that there were instances when people were genuinely ignorant of the materials they were using.
He said the post-surveillance team of the FDB, by its mandate, was to ensure that wheat flour, locally produced or imported, was safe and of good quality.
Mr Essel said potassium bromate was largely sold by retailers and sometimes by mill operators, who purchased it from ignorant distributors.
He said unfotunately, people who claimed to know those who used this substance were reluctant to point them out for fear of being victimised.
Potassium bromate usually takes the form of white crystals or powder, which is typically used as a flour improver to strengthen the dough and also allow for higher rising.
Mr Essel said the FDB had initiated measures to bring to book persons involved in this illegal operation and warned that any one found guilty of the offence was laible to a fine or a prison term not exceeding two years or both.