My Bagels!!!!!

New York state is set to ban bromated flour because bromine is a carcinogen.  (Also why Bromo-Seltzer no longer contains bromine)

The use of bromated flour is ubiquitous among New York City bagel shops.  (When I made bagels, I used non-brominated and malt free flour, [family allergies] and they turned out OK.) 

The additive in question potassium bromate  (KBrO3) is a slow acting oxidizing agent, and as such, it makes the dough springier more quickly.

There are techniques and other additives (ascorbic acid comes to mind) and mixing and kneading the dough for a longer time can ameliorate the effects as well.  (For my bagels, I added additional gluten directly, but use a stand mixer with a dough hook.  My hands hurt for 3 days afterwards)

The recipe for Utopia Bagels has remained unchanged since the popular bakery opened in Queens in 1981. Louie and Ernie’s Pizza in the Bronx has used the same ingredients in its slice for nearly as long.

But if lawmakers in Albany prevail, these bakers and thousands of others in New York State will have to stop using a key component, bromated flour, potentially raising costs and changing the character of their breads, bagels and pizza crusts.

Last month by a wide margin, legislators passed the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act, which bans potassium bromate (along with propylparaben and Red Dye No. 3) from any food sold in the state. The bill now goes to Gov. Kathy Hochul; a spokeswoman said only that the governor “will review” it.

Used by an estimated 80 to 90 percent of commercial bakeries in the state, bromated flour makes doughs springier, stretchier and more consistent. Sam Silverman, a New York bagel evangelist who runs tours, classes and an annual gathering called BagelFest, said that after bromated flour became widely used in the 1940s, it helped create the signature modern New York bagel: tall and fluffy, with significant chew. In pizza, it produces an airy crust with enough structure to hold sauce and cheese, and enough pliability to be folded in half.

………

But since the 1980s, when studies first linked potassium bromate to thyroid and kidney cancers in rats, it has gradually been removed from the food supply in most of the world. It’s banned in China, Canada, India, the European Union and many other countries. Starting next January, it will be illegal in California, as part of the so-called “Skittles ban” signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023.

This is not actually a big deal, and my guess will be that after 6 months or so, the bakers will find a combination of other proofing agents and techniques to address this.