Home › Ingredients › Potassium bromate (E924)
Is potassium bromate (E924) safe?
- India: banned by FSSAI since June 2016, after bromate residues were found in packaged bread
- EU & UK: banned since 1990; Canada, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Nigeria also prohibit it
- US: still legal in bread — but California bans it from 2027, and other states are following
- LabelCop: high-risk flag on every label — strictest regulator wins
What is potassium bromate?
- A flour treatment agent (an oxidiser) — not a preservative or flavour
- One job: strengthening dough so bread rises higher, with a finer, springier crumb
- Label names: potassium bromate, bromated flour, E924, INS 924
Which foods contain it?
- Packaged bread, buns, rolls and pizza bases (where still permitted)
- Some flour sold for home and commercial baking ("bromated flour")
- Occasionally other flour-based baked goods
- In India: it is banned — no legally sold product should list it. It made headlines in 2016 when a Centre for Science and Environment study found bromate or iodate residues in 84% of 38 packaged bread samples tested in Delhi, prompting the FSSAI ban
What the regulators actually say
| Regulator | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| FSSAI (India) | Banned since June 2016 | Removed potassium bromate from the permitted additives list after the CSE bread study found residues in finished bread. Potassium iodate was subsequently restricted too. |
| EFSA / European Union & UK | Banned since 1990 | The EU and UK prohibited it as a flour treatment agent once animal studies showed kidney and thyroid tumours. It has never been re-authorised — E924 is not on the EU's permitted additives list. |
| WHO — JECFA & IARC | Use "not appropriate" (1992) | The joint FAO/WHO expert committee (JECFA) withdrew the acceptable intake in 1992, concluding use in flour was not appropriate because residues in baked bread could not be ruled out. IARC classifies it Group 2B — possibly carcinogenic to humans — based on animal evidence. |
| FDA (United States) | Permitted, under pressure | Bromated flour remains legal within prescribed limits. The FDA asked bakers to stop using it voluntarily in 1991 but never revoked approval; it now sits on the FDA's list of chemicals under review. California's Food Safety Act bans it state-wide from 2027 — the first US ban — and Utah has barred it from school meals, with other states considering bills. |
| Canada, China, Brazil & others | Banned | Canada, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and many other countries prohibit potassium bromate in food. |
Why do regulators disagree?
- The chemistry: during proper baking, bromate converts to bromide, which is considered harmless
- The problem: if too much is used, or dough is baked too briefly, bromate residues survive into the finished loaf — India's 2016 bread study found exactly that
- Most regulators: a possible carcinogen with an avoidable residue risk and purely cosmetic benefits isn't worth it → banned
- The FDA: relies on correct use converting bromate fully, backed by a voluntary industry phase-out — many US bakers have indeed dropped it, but it remains legal
- One precision: IARC's Group 2B rating is based on tumours in animal studies — it signals possible human risk, not confirmed harm at dietary levels. We report the classification and who issued it, not a scare story
- Potassium bromate (E924) is a high-risk flag in LabelCop
- Rule: strictest regulator wins — bans in India, the EU, UK, Canada, China and Brazil mean we flag it everywhere, including on US products where it's still legal
- The product's score takes a penalty — and you see the flag, the reason and the sources. No black box
Frequently asked questions
Is potassium bromate banned in India?
Yes — FSSAI banned it in June 2016 after the CSE bread study. No legally sold food in India should contain it.
Why is it still legal in the US?
The FDA never revoked approval and has relied on a 1991 voluntary phase-out request. State law is moving faster: California's ban takes effect in 2027, Utah has banned it from school meals, and several other states have introduced bills.
What should I look for on a label?
"Potassium bromate", "bromated flour", E924 or INS 924 — mainly on packaged bread, buns, pizza bases and bags of flour. "Bromated" in a flour name is the easy one to miss.
Does baking destroy it?
Mostly, when used correctly — bromate converts to bromide. But residues have been found in finished bread when usage or baking conditions were off, which is why JECFA concluded in 1992 that its use in flour was not appropriate.
Is it a proven carcinogen?
No. IARC's Group 2B means "possibly carcinogenic to humans", based on kidney and thyroid tumours in animal studies. Regulators that banned it applied precaution: the benefit is cosmetic, the risk is avoidable.
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FSSAI: restriction of potassium bromate as a flour treatment agent · Centre for Science and Environment (2016): What's in our bread? · WHO/JECFA: potassium bromate evaluation — ADI withdrawn (1992) · IARC Monographs Vol. 73: potassium bromate (Group 2B) · FDA: 21 CFR 137.155 — bromated flour · California Food Safety Act (AB 418, 2023)
Related ingredients: Sodium nitrite (E250) · BHA & BHT (E320/E321) · TBHQ (E319)
This article explains regulatory status and published scientific assessments in plain English. It is not medical advice.