New York Legislature Bans Bromated Flour Additive, Awaits Hochul's Signature

Potassium bromate, the additive that helps give New York bagels and pizza dough their stretch and spring, is on the way to being banned in the state after lawmakers approved a sweeping food safety measure that now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act, S1239 in the Senate and A1556 in the Assembly, passed the New York State Senate on March 23 by a unanimous 60-0 vote and cleared the Assembly on April 21 by 106-32. Sponsored by Sen. Brian Kavanagh and Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles, the bill would bar potassium bromate, Red 3 and propylparaben in food sold in New York and would also require disclosure of certain GRAS substances that bypassed Food and Drug Administration review.

The fight over bromated flour is not about flavor alone. Potassium bromate works as a dough conditioner, strengthening gluten and helping dough rise. Bakers use it to create the chewy interior and resilient crust associated with classic New York-style bagels and pizza. Pizzerias and bagel makers say it affects texture, cost and consistency, and some bakers worry that replacing it could force recipe changes or raise prices if substitutes do not perform as reliably.

Most consumers would probably notice the change first in texture rather than taste. Bromate is doing structural work in the dough, not adding a distinct flavor, so the larger question is whether bakeries can preserve the same chew and oven spring without adding costs that would show up in the final price. That makes the bill as much an economic measure as a culinary one, especially for a state where bagels and pizza are core parts of both small-business identity and daily eating.

Supporters cast the bill as part of a broader move to remove chemicals linked to cancer and other health risks from the food supply. The FDA still permits potassium bromate in some baked goods under U.S. rules, but the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans. Exposure can occur during its production and use as a dough conditioner and food additive.

If Hochul signs the measure, New York would join California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Food Safety Act on Oct. 7, 2023 and set a Jan. 1, 2027 start date for a ban on potassium bromate and other additives. The European Union has already banned it, and New York would become another major state to force the baking industry to adapt to a cleaner label and, potentially, a costlier recipe.