SHOCKER: The bread you eat can cause cancer, says CSE study

New Delhi: In a shocking revelation, Delhi-based research group Centre for Science and Environment has found in its study that most the bread brands and food items sold by popular fast-food brands contains cancer causing chemicals. The reports said about 84% of 38 popular brands of breads, buns and burgers and pizzas were found to contain Potassium Bromate and Iodate that are known as cancer causing agents and are banned in most of the countries but not in India. “Use of chemical food additives is a common practice in packaged and processed foods. Not all of them are safe. One such additive is potassium bromate (KBrO3 ) which, until over two decades ago, was routinely used in most parts of the world to treat flour for bread and bakery products,” the report said. “KBrO3 helped give the product a high rise and uniform finish. Its use as a flour treatment agent was allowed based on the assumption that no residues of bromated would be found in the final product. But following studies demonstrating detectable residues and linking bromate to cancer, global scientific expert committees – during the 1980s and early 1990s,” the shocking report added. “CSE’s consultations and discussions with industry and scientific experts indicate that potassium bromate is widely used by this sector as it gives high quality results and is permitted by the law. With bread and bakery products being one of the most widely consumed food articles, it is important to prevent the population from being exposed to this cancer-causing chemical,” the report added. Meanwhile, Health minister JP Nadda said he has ordered his officers to check with the companies. He said there was no need to panic and the government would take prompt action for public safety.