Question: Name the chemical used in breads which was recently banned by Food and Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), after a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) named it as one of two chemicals that could cause cancer?
(a) Potassium bromate
(b) Potassium nitrate
(c) Potassium sulphate
(d) Potassium chlorate
Ans:(a)
Related facts:
- On 23 May 2016 Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its report claimed the presence of cancer-causing chemicals, potassium bromate and potassium iodate in breads.
- In 1999, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified potassium bromate as possibly carcinogenic (cancer causing) to humans.
- Potassium iodate was found to cause tumors of the kidney, thyroid and cancer of the abdominal lining in laboratory animals.
- Potassium bromate/iodate are banned in many countries because of its harmful effects on human beings but was not banned in India so far.
- Due to the harmful effects of potassium bromate and potassium iodate on Human health Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) recommended the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to ban its use.
- On 24 May 2016 Food and Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) banned the use of potassium bromated and spoke about the evaluation of potassium iodate as possibly carcinogenic (cancer causing).
- The study, conducted by CSE’s Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML), says Indian bread manufacturers use potassium bromate and potassium iodate for treating flour while making bread.
- Considering potassium bromate as a ‘genotoxic carcinogen’, the JECFA (WHO/FAO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives) in 1992 said that “use of potassium bromate as a flour treatment agent was not appropriate”.
- The European Union had already banned its use in 1990 and so did the UK. Subsequently, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Nigeria, Peru and Columbia have also decided against its use.
- CODEX Alimentarius, an international body which sets safety standards for food commodities, formally withdrew specifications of potassium bromate in 2012 – which means the presence of bromate in food was considered unsafe and illegal for international trade.
Reference:
http://cseindia.org/content/what%E2%80%99s-our-bread
http://www.cseindia.org/content/cse-welcomes-bread-industry-decision-voluntarily-withdraw-use-potassium-bromate-and-potassiu
http://cseindia.org/content/bread-study-aftermath-cse-welcomes-fssai-action
http://www.cseindia.org/content/cse-welcomes-bread-industry-decision-voluntarily-withdraw-use-potassium-bromate-and-potassiu
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/bread-manufacturers-to-voluntarily-withdraw-use-of-additives/article8649768.ece