Three weeks ago CSE(Centre for Science and Environment) came up with a study that shook all Indians who were fond of eating bread in their daily life. CSE in a study found that bread in Delhi had Potassium Bromate which causes cancer in our body and the news and the debate after that hit all news channels head on. There was a decrease in the consumption of the bread almost immediately and companies like Harvest Gold, Perfect Bread and Britannia ducked for cover. English Oven was the only company that was considered safe as 86% of the bread makers were found to use potassium bromate.
What all it actually was?
The study which was done by CSE’s Pollution Monitoring Laboratory ( PML ) found that Indian bread has Potassium Bromate and Potassium Iodate which are carcinogenic (cancer causing to humans) and also causes thyroid disorders. Despite being banned in many countries Indian manufactures still used it in the processing of floor while making bread.
PML found after testing 38 commonly available branded breads and related stuffs available in Delhi that 84% samples contain Potassium Bromate/Iodate and that was also reconfirmed from other different laboratories.
The most important thing was that International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has declared Potassium Bromate as cancerous for humans as it causes tumors of kidney, thyroid .Prior to it WHO and FAO (Food Agriculture Organisation) in a joint committee report have already banned the use of Potassiom Bromate/Iodate as a flour treatment . EU in 1990 and subsequently New Zealand , China , Sri Lanka , Brazil and many other countries have also banned its use
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Then Why India still used Potassium Bromate/Iodate
Before the study came out the food safety regulation of India had no restriction on the use of Potassium Bromate/Iodate in baking Product . As it’s a powerful oxidizing agent (in terms of chemistry) so it makes bread spongy and gives the product the desired shape. In the end of the process bromate has to convert into bromide as a side product which is harmless but this never happens completely leaving some traces of potassium bromate.
What happened after the report came out
For four years the matter had been under consideration of the FSSAI without any decision. After the CSE came up with this shocking findings, and media pressure built up the Food Safety and Standard Authority ( FSSAI) of India reacted quickly to ban the use of these products immediately as they were dangerous to public health safety. After the appeal by media the FSSAI finally banned one of the two toxic chemicals that is Potassium Bromate to be used in bread processing .Though the FSSAI has never agreed that they banned this due to CSE report.
Permissible limit of potassium bromide
After the report came out CSE published the standard for the use of Potassium Bromate in bread and other food stuff that should have been followed. According to them there were two things that had to be taken care off .First thing was the maximum limit for the use of chemical in floor and that was 50 ppm . Whereas the second thing to be taken care was maximum limit of residue of chemical in the product. Currently there is no limit set as there should be no amount of residue left in the product .We are hoping that FSSAI will also ban the use of second chemical that is Potassium Iodate in coming days .
Now what to do
But this is not the end. We are having lots of fast food in which lots of chemical are used in the manufacturing of the food product. It’s the combined responsibility of FSSAI and the Government to check the limits of added chemicals on regular basis in those food stuffs so that the health of people is not at stake. It is also the need of time to follow the guidelines issued by international food safety agencies so that we don’t have to suffer in future like the way have suffered in past.
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