Florida has expanded its investigation into the use of potassium bromate in bread.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Friday a civil investigative subpoena has been issued to Georgia-based Performance Food Group, as part of an expanded investigation into the substance used as an oxidizing agent to strengthen dough, whiten flour, and increase bread volume in Florida’s food supply.
The subpoena requires the company to produce records from its Miami and Orlando distribution centers showing which food products containing specified bromated flours were sold, who bought those products, who bought the flour itself, and what disclosures were made to purchasers.
“We are following this additive from the bag of flour to the kitchen that serves Florida families,” said Uthmeier. “Performance Food Group is one of the largest buyers in this chain. Floridians have a right to know what was sold, who bought it, and whether anyone was told that these products contain a chemical much of the world has already banned.”
Uthmeier initially announced his office was investigating the use of potassium bromate in July.
“As a surgeon, I cannot uncause a cancer,” said Dr. Danny Cohen, a Winter Park urologist who appeared with Uthmeier at a news conference. “I can only try to cut it out after it has already taken hold. But prevention — keeping proven and probable carcinogens out of our food supply — is the one intervention that works before the diagnosis, before the operating room, before the grief.”
The Food and Drug Administration already regulates the use of potassium bromate, stipulating that little to no residue remains in the finished baked product. The chemical is a suspected carcinogen according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer and is banned in various parts of the world, including the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.
A 2023 law in California banned the use of potassium bromate, prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, and sale of any food or beverages containing the additive starting in 2027.
