The Food and Drug Administration has urged the bakery industry since the early 1990s to voluntarily quit using potassium bromate. The American Bakers Association says very few bakeries still use the ingredient, which improves the strength and texture of certain doughs. The chemical has been banned in Britain and Canada, and California declared it a carcinogen in 1991. But the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest cited recent FDA tests of 17 types of rolls and buns that found more than half contained levels of potassium bromate higher than the limit experts advise.
Studies show feeding rats and mice very high levels of potassium bromate can cause cancer.
That doesn't necessarily mean people would get cancer, although the government generally does not allow food ingredients to sell if they're linked to cancer in animals. FDA food safety expert Alan Rulis declined to comment on the petition Monday. He said the FDA still is considering a ban or whether bakers can further limit potassium bromate voluntarily. The chemical was sold for decades before the cancer question arose, so banning it would require extensive legal steps, he said. Copyright 1999 by The Associated Press .