02/28/2024
Let's Talk Sourdough - Week 2:
What is really in the bread you eat? Hint: It is probably much more than you think.
Some ingredients found in commerical breads:
Potassium Bromate (food additive E924):
Perhaps the most dangerous ingredient used in bread-making, potassium bromate is used to strengthen dough and produce a higher rise in bread. It has as been linked to damage of the kidneys and nervous system. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers this chemical a possible carcinogen. It is banned in several other countries due to its negative effects on the body.
Chlorine and other bleaching agents:
Used to whiten bread to improve the appearance of the bread. In flour-making, chlorine gas undergoes an oxidizing chemical reaction the proteins in the flour, creating a by-product called alloxan. Alloxan is a chemical that scientists use to intentionally produce diabetes in healthy experimental animals. It causes diabetes by creating a large amount of free radicals to form in pancreatic beta cells–the cells that produce insulin – destroying them and causing diabetes.
Calcium Propionate:
The most commonly used commercial bread preservative, calcium propionate, prevents mold and bacteria growth. Calcium propionate has been with irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance in some children.
BHA:
BHA is a chemical food additive that helps prevent bread from going rancid. There is a reasonable amount of research to suggest that BHA is a human carcinogen according to the Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program
