If Passed, This New Flour Ban Might Change NYC's Bagels And Pizza Forever

A new food safety law in the state of New York has some pizza and bagel manufacturers claiming it will fundamentally change the way their famous products are. The law passed unanimously in the state senate last month and now waits only for Governor Kathy Hochul's signature to go into effect. The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act is being hailed by the Environmental Working Group as a critical step to remove toxic chemicals from commercially sold foods, including potassium bromate, a flour additive that makes bread doughs more elastic, stretchy, and resilient.

It is estimated that somewhere between 80% and 90% of New York's bakeries use bromated flour, who say the properties of this flour are crucial for creating the signature characteristics of New York-style bagels (with their chewy, fluffy crumb) and pizza (with its airy but foldable texture). They also say this law will change these globally famous foods irrevocably.

Introduced in the 1940s, potassium bromate revolutionized commercial baking by helping bread dough maintain an optimal rise in suboptimal conditions. In the early 1980s, however, a study came out which demonstrated a causal link between the additive and the development of kidney and thyroid cancer in rodents. In 1999, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the substance as a possible human carcinogen.

Many other countries, including the United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, China, Brazil, and India, have banned potassium bromate. In the United States, the FDA has encouraged bakers to avoid its use since 1991, but the agency hasn't taken further steps to restrict the additive. In California, products with potassium bromate have required a warning label since the introduction of Prop 65 (which is also why some candies have a lead warning on the packaging) and will be outright banned starting January 2027. As for New York, only time will tell whether Governor Hochul will in fact sign this bill into law and whether the state's myriad of bagel and pizza makers can make adjustments to maintain the iconic texture and taste of New York's favorite foods.