Europe Bans Toxic Food Additive That Is Found In Common Bread Products In U.S.
There is a list of food additives and preservatives that Europe has banned while the U.S. continues to put them in most things we eat. A common ingredient in your bread is now prohibited in Europe.
We unknowingly eat many different foods each day that are full of toxins and chemicals. The "contamination theory of obesity" suggests that many people struggle with stubborn body fat because we're constantly consuming and using endocrine-disrupting foods, skincare and beauty products, cleaning sprays, etc. These toxins affect our metabolism, immune system, and hormones. Europe has banned many of the ingredients that are found in common American food, including something called potassium bromate.
Europe Bans Toxic Food Additive That Is Found in Common Bread Products in U.S.
Many people share their experiences of bloating and indigestion when they eat bread in the U.S., but when they eat the bread products in European countries, they don't have any issues. This could partly be due to the absence of something called potassium bromate in European bread products, which is an additive used to strengthen the dough and allow it to rise higher. It usually comes in the form of fine crystals or powder, and it's a suspected carcinogen. In some lab tests, it caused renal and thyroid tumors in rats, and it's known to cause coughing, wheezing, and lung irritation.
The Environmental Working Group says potassium bromate is found in more than 130 bread products on American grocery store shelves. European regulators have chosen to remove it completely from their shelves, while the U.S. has chosen not to do anything about it.
"There is evidence that it may be toxic to human consumers, that it may even either initiate or promote the development of tumors," Erik Millstone, an expert on food additives at England's University of Sussex, told CBS News.
Europe has also banned brominated vegetable oil, titanium dioxide, azodicarbonamide, and propylparaben. These are all still present in American foods. For example, brominated vegetable oil, which is also banned in Japan and India, is found in various sodas to stop the ingredients in soft drinks from separating. Azodicarbonamide is a flour-bleaching agent that is found in many different types of fast food chains, such as the Arby's croissant.
This leaves many people wondering how long the U.S. will allow these toxic ingredients to be found in everyday food and be consumed by millions of people. While some people may be averse to regulation, at some point we have to ask ourselves how far we're willing to let these companies go before they ruin the health of countless Americans.