Ingredient Index · E924

Is Potassium Bromate banned in Europe?

Banned in EU

Yes: potassium bromate has been banned in EU food since 1990, while the FDA still permits it in US bread and flour at up to 75 parts per million.

E-number: E924CAS: 7758-01-2 Also seen as: E924, Bromated flour

What the EU does

Banned, and for longer than most of the people reading this label have been reading labels. The EU prohibited potassium bromate as a flour treatment agent in 1990, and it holds no authorization under the current food additive framework, Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008; in the EU system, an additive that is not on the authorized list cannot be used at all. The UK banned it the same year, and Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, and Sri Lanka followed.

The basis: IARC, the World Health Organization's cancer research arm, classifies potassium bromate as Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) on the strength of reproducible kidney and thyroid tumors in rodent studies.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (not authorized; EU prohibition since 1990); IARC Monographs Vol. 73

What the US does

Still legal federally. The FDA permits potassium bromate as a flour treatment agent at up to 75 parts per million in bromated flour (21 CFR 137.155). The agency has urged bakers to discontinue it voluntarily since 1991: a request, not a rule, now in its fourth decade. The industry theory is that bromate converts to harmless bromide during baking; testing has repeatedly found residual bromate in finished bread.

The movement, such as it is, is happening at the state level. California's AB 418 (2023) bans potassium bromate in food sold in the state effective January 1, 2027, and several other states have introduced copycat bills. Many large industrial bakers have quietly dropped it. Plenty of regional brands have not.

Citation 21 CFR 137.155 (bromated flour); California AB 418 (2023)

Products that commonly contain it

Potassium bromate strengthens dough and helps bread rise higher and whiter. In the US it can appear in:

Commercial sandwich bread and rolls
Pizza dough, particularly frozen and restaurant-supply
Flour sold as "bromated flour," including some retail brands
Bagels, buns, and bakery products made from commercial mixes

What to look for on a label

This one is easy to spot when it's there, because the law requires it in the ingredient list:

"Potassium bromate" in the ingredient list
"Bromated flour" or "enriched bromated flour": bromate by another name
On flour bags, check the flour description itself, not just the additive list
"Unbromated" or "never bromated" flour callouts are the industry's tacit acknowledgment that shoppers are checking

Or skip the squinting: paste the whole ingredient list into our checker and it flags everything in our database. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is potassium bromate banned in Europe?

Yes. The EU banned potassium bromate as a flour treatment in 1990, and it holds no authorization under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The UK, Canada, Brazil, and many other countries have also banned it.

Is potassium bromate legal in the United States?

Yes, federally. The FDA permits it in flour at up to 75 ppm (21 CFR 137.155) and has urged voluntary discontinuation since 1991. California banned it effective January 1, 2027 under AB 418.

Why is potassium bromate controversial?

IARC classifies it as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans, based on kidney and thyroid tumors in rodents. The industry position is that bromate converts to harmless bromide during baking, but testing has found residual bromate in finished bread.

How do I know if my bread contains potassium bromate?

Check the ingredient list for "potassium bromate" or "bromated flour." US labeling rules require it to be declared. Most large national bakers have dropped it; smaller and regional brands may not have.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed June 10, 2026 · How we assign statuses