TALLAHASSEE, Florida — State Attorney General James Uthmeier wants Florida’s Legislature to take another look at a proposed ban on a flour additive that he called a shortcut used by bread bakers at the expense of people consuming the goods.
Uthmeier held a Monday news conference at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine to call for a ban on potassium bromate, which is added to products used by bakers to make dough faster, and by beer brewers to malt barley. Canada and countries across Europe banned companies from using the additive in products more than 30 years ago, while American federal regulators have only asked bakers to stop using the additive.
Uthmeier pointed to studies showing potassium bromate could be considered a carcinogen, with data within his cited studies linking it to cancer. Some of those same studies prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to warn bakeries against using flour with the additive, but the agency stopped short of an actual ban. Uthmeier said his staff will send subpoenas to companies using potassium bromate for documents related to use of the additive.
“There’s a reason why the rest of the world has banned the use of potassium bromate,” Uthmeier said. “It’s not something to risk when it comes to our kids.”
