Food additive · Flour improver
Potassium bromate
- E-number
- E924
- CAS
- 7758-01-2
An oxidizing agent added to some flour and bread dough to strengthen it. It is not permitted in EU or UK food and will be banned in California food from 2027.
- Food additive
- Preservative
- Expert review pending
Concern level
A regulatory warning or restriction somewhere, or strong evidence of harm at typical intake. The concern level sets how many points potassium bromate costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
-
IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic)Strong evidence
IARC classifies potassium bromate as Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans). [1]
-
Not permitted in food somewhereRegulatory
Not on the EU list of authorized food additives; California bans it in food from January 1, 2027. [2][3]
-
Warning label requiredRegulatory
California lists potassium bromate under Proposition 65 (cancer, 1990). [4]
-
Under regulatory reviewInfo
The FDA lists potassium bromate as under review and has worked with bakers to minimize residual bromate. [5]
Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.
Rules around the world
| Where | Status | Details | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Permitted | Allowed in bromated flour up to 50 ppm (21 CFR 137.155) and in malting barley (21 CFR 172.730); under FDA review. | — | [6] |
| European Union | Not permitted | Not on the Union list of food additives. | — | [2] |
| United Kingdom | Not permitted | Not on the GB list of approved additives. | — | [7] |
| Canada | Not permitted | Not on Health Canada's List of Permitted Flour Treatment Agents. | — | [8] |
| California (US) | Warning label required | Listed under Proposition 65 (cancer, 1990). | Jan 1, 1990 | [4] |
| California (US) | Banned | Not allowed in food sold in California from January 1, 2027 (AB 418). | From Jan 1, 2027 | [3] |
“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.
Diets and allergens
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
For the ingredient in general. Always check the package: a product’s own labels win.
Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (11)
- e924
- bromated flour
- potassium bromate
- bromated wheat flour
- bromated enriched flour
- enriched bromated flour
- potassium bromate added
- enriched bromated wheat flour
- bleached enriched bromated flour
- unbleached enriched bromated flour
- potassium bromate dough conditioner
Sources
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Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)
monographs.iarc.who.int
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“E 127 Erythrosine 200 only cocktail cherries and candied cherries”
eur-lex.europa.eu
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California AB 418 (2023), the California Food Safety Act (Health and Safety Code §109025)
“Commencing January 1, 2027, a person or entity shall not manufacture, sell, deliver, distribute, hold, or offer for sale, in commerce a food product for human consumption that contains any of the following substances”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
-
Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity
“The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”
oehha.ca.gov
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List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review
“The table below includes select food ingredients (including food and color additives), food contact substances, and contaminants under FDA review as of May 12, 2026 .”
fda.gov
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“potassium bromate is added in a quantity not exceeding 50 parts to each million parts of the finished bromated flour”
ecfr.gov
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Approved additives and E numbers
“E171 Titanium dioxide; not permitted for use in Northern Ireland”
gov.uk
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2. List of Permitted Flour Treatment Agents (Lists of Permitted Food Additives)
“A.4 Azodicarbonamide n/a (a) Bread (a) Flour treatment agent (a) 45 ppm of the flour n/a”
canada.ca