New flour ban could force huge change to pizza and bagels
Up to 90 percent of commercial bakeries in New York may have to change bread recipes as lawmakers await a governor’s seal of approval on new food safety regulations with bated breath.
New York is synonymous with fresh, chewy bagels; hand-tossed, thin-crust pizza; incredible artisanal loaves; flour-dusted ciabattas; crunchy, crusty baguettes, and so much more.
But legendary institutions and new kids on the block may be forced to reformulate their tried-and-tested products amid the new Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act.
Last month, state-based legislators voted by a wide margin to ban potassium bromate, propylparaben, and Red Dye No. 3 from any food sold in the state.
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The bill now awaits the approval of 67-year-old Kathy Hochul, who has served since 2021 as New York’s 57th governor; a spokeswoman has confirmed she ‘will review’ the legislation.
It’s reported that if the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act is passed, then between 80 to 90 percent of commercial bakeries in New York will need to phase out flour ‘enriched’ with potassium bromate.
The New York Times reported that many businesses use the so-called ‘improver’ to make dough appear ‘springier, stretchier, and more consistent’.
It may also help the products to rise higher while speeding up mixing and baking times.
However, bromate has been linked to various cancers, along with thyroid disease, kidney damage and gut irritation.
In 1999, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) categorised potassium bromate as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’.
Michael Wesslock, the owner of The Pizza Box, argued that businesses don’t need to add the controversial additive to their items.
He told ABC 7 New York that many bakers rely on it as ‘sort of a crutch that many people rely on to make dough a little better’.
Instead of using bromate, bakeries can simply opt for longer fermentation times, Wesslock argued.
"If they don't change their technique a little bit, it might be lacking some of the structure that you are used to, but you can make up for that in mixing times and temperature and changing water,” he added.
Utopia Bagels owner Jesse Spellman, who has used bromated flour since day one, for nearly 50 years, has argued that ‘a little research’ and a ‘testing’ period should take place before outright banning the chemical.
"When you're cooking at high temperatures, when the final product is finished, the carcinogens they are talking about aren't in the product anymore," he argued.
The businessman, who also runs Jax Pizza Joint in Long Island City, claimed that by switching flours, customers may be forced to fork out more for their everyday favourites.
“These other flours are two times the money for the same or even a little worse of a product,” the 25-year-old warned the New York Times.
“Bagels are going to hit $3 or $4. People are going to be mad.”
If Gov. Hochul gives the bill the green light, then distributors will have one year to help their clients transition away from bromated flour.
Restaurants, bakeries, and other establishments will also be allowed to use the products they have already purchased if they are in date, as per reports.
Ella Scott